X 


( 


a 


EL    PUCHEKO: 


OE, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FKOM   MEXICO. 


GENERAL   SCOTT. 


V 

EL  PUCHERO: 


OR, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO, 


GENERAL  SCOTT'S  CAMPAIGN, 


Mttys  of  Military  lift, 


IN  FIELD  AND  CAMP, 


CHARACTER  OF  THE   COUNTRY,   MANNERS  AND  WAYS 
OF   THE   PEOPLE,   ETC. 


BY  RICHARD  M'SHERRY,  M.D.,  U.S.N., 

LATE  ACTING  SURGEON  OF  REGIMENT  OF  MARINES. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
LIPPINCOTT,    GRAMBO    &    CO. 

SUCCESSORS  TO  GRIGG,  ELLIOTT  &  CO. 

1850. 


M  n 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1850, 

By  LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  Co., 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
C.    SHERMAN,    PRINTER. 


t    irary 


PEEFACE. 


WHEN  the  author  of  the  following  letters  was  taking  his 
rough  and  hurried  notes  in  the  confusion  of  the  march,  and 
sometimes  during  the  din  of  battle,  he  had  little  thought  of 
giving  them  to  the  world.  The  friend,*  however,  to  whom 
the  letters  were  addressed,  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  a  man  of 
eminent  literary  taste,  recommended  their  publication,  to  which 
the  author  assented  on  condition  of  that  gentleman's  making 
the  campaign  complete  by  giving,  from  official  documents,  the 
battles  of  Yera  Cruz  and  Cerro  Gordo.  This  he  was  kind 
enough  to  undertake,  and  from  his  pen  came  the  spirited 
sketches  at  the  end  of  this  volume.  He  did  more  ; — he  wrote 
a  highly  finished  essay  on  the  political  history  of  the  War, 
which,  however,  he  withdrew,  because  it  was  supposed  to  give 
the  book  itself  a  political  bias  foreign  to  its  general  design. 

The  name,  EL  PUCHEKO,  was  assumed  on  account  of  the  dis 
cursive  and  mixed  character  of  the  work,  which  is  composed, 
without  much  regard  to  order,  of  various  elements  of  war  and 

*  David  Holmes  Conrad,  Esq.,  of  Virginia. 
1 


11  PREFACE. 

peace,  and  of  such  general  considerations  as  present  them 
selves  to  the  observation  of  a  stranger  in  a  foreign  land. 
May,  1849. 

P.  S.  When  the  letters  were  preparing  for  publication  it 
was  not  the  intention  of  the  author  to  give  his  name  to  the 
world  with  them.  In  compliance,  however,  with  the  desire 
of  the  publishers,  it  appears  on  the  title-page.  He  has  to 
regret  now  that  he  has  not  done  justice  to  many  of  his 
friends  and  brother  officers,  by  associating  acts  of  personal 
gallantry  with  their  names,  which  he  could  not  have  done  in 
carrying  out  his  first  intentions  without  throwing  off  his 
incognito. 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER   I. 

Unsuccessful  Attempt  to  get  to  Vera  Cruz — Exposure  at  Sea — Vessel  proves 
a  Failure,  and  Returns — Reaches  New  York  in  time  for  Anniversary 
Celebration  of  Taylor's  Victories — News  of  Scott's  Victory  at  Cerro 
Cordo.  -  -  »  :l'  13 

LETTER    II. 

Sail  with  Troops  in  a  Transport  Ship — A  Military  School  at  Sea — A  Sailor 
Captain's  History — Trouble  at  Havana.  -  -  -  -  -  17 

LETTER   III. 

Water-Spout — A  Pilot  in  a  Chain-Gang — Vigilance  of  Port  Captain — Ap 
proach  Vera  Cruz — Bright  Prospects — Spies  and  Lassos — Landing  on  the 
Beach — Storm  Ashore — Yellow  Fever — Churches  Occupied  as  General 
Hospitals— The  Town— Oi  Polloi— The  Walls.  20 

LETTER   IV. 

Peak  of  Orizaba — Castle  of  San  Juan — Fare  in  Camp — Fruits — Sand-flies 
and  Mosquitoes  —  A  Courier — Rumours — Sickness — Abduction  of  an 
Officer. 24 


LETTER    V. 

Rumours  corrected — Naval  Service  on  the  Coast — Malaria — Shops  and 
Shopkeepers  in  Vera  Cruz — Public  Buildings — Preparations  for  Depar 
ture — Breaking  Mules — Ambulances — Alarms — The  Brigade  moves  for 
the  Interior.  ---------  ,^w  £7 


IV  CONTENT?. 


LETTER   VI. 

A  Sick  Array — Insubordination  of  an  Important  Portion  of  it — A  Night 
on  the  Road  —  The  Bivouac  —  Trouble  with  Horses  —  Santa  Fe  —  Wild 
Cattle — Lancers — Breakfast — The  Road — Weariness  of  the  Men — They 
throw  off  Incumbrances  —  Transporting  the  Sick  —  San  Juan,  or  the 
Mud-hole.  -  -  -  31 


LETTER   VII. 

Rain  and  Mud — Ticks  and  Mosquitoes — Life  in  the  Woods  most  pleasant 
when  Viewed  from  a  Distance — Cause  of  Detention — Lomo — Skirmishing 
—  Men  Wounded  —  Invisible  Enemies  —  Tolome" —  Lights  and  Shadows  — 
National  Bridge — A  Bit  of  an  Action — Natural  Advantages  for  Defence — 
Scenery,  like  Harper's  Ferry — The  River  Antigua — Bathing — A  Lurking 
Enemy — Arrival  at  Plan  del  Rio. -  35 

LETTER   VIII. 

Difficulty  of  Maintaining  a  Correspondence — Rancheros — Topography  of 
Plan  del  Rio,  Streams  and  Bridges — The  Escopet — A  Barricade — Bridge 
Destroyed — A  Hard  Bed — Cutting  a  Road — Approach  Cerro  Gordo — Re 
flections,  uncalled  for — Ascent  of  the  Mountain — Advantages  for  Defence 
— Dismantled  Guns — Change  of  Scene.  -  38 

LETTER  IX. 

A  Cup  of  Cold  Water — Signs  of  Civilization — Losses  on  the  Way — Wreck  of  a 
Camp — Hacienda — An  Officer  Wounded — A  Trap  and  a  Chase — Jalapa — 
Admiring  Spectators.  43 

LETTER   X. 

A  Resting  Spell — Intercourse  with  the  Paisanos  —  A  Market  —  Prices  — 
Virtues  of  Spermaceti — Getting  Supplies  from  the  Town — Contrast  be 
tween  the  Dealings  of  the  American  and  Mexican  Troops  with  the  Citi 
zens —  Fruits  of  Intemperance  —  A  Soldier  Killed  —  Horses  Stolen — La 
Hoya — The  Pass — How  defended — Cadwalader's  Encounter — Camp  in  a 
Basinful  of  Water— Climate  Changes  with  Elevation — A  Hard  March  to 
Perote.  »  *  -  r  <•  •  -  *  45 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER   XL 

perote — Castle  of  San  Carlos — Its  Condition — How  Occupied — Mortality — 
Exchange  of  Sick  for  Convalescents — Attending  Church — Sand-clouds — 
Exposure  of  the  Troops — Their  Imprudence — Opportunities  of  sending 
Letters  Home.  -  *  *r  -  -  --T '.;-/.-  -*  ••»/* .-.  -:  •  viv  48 


LETTER   XII. 

Cofre  de  Perote — Tierras  Frias — Face  of  the  Country — Haciendas  :  they 
look  like  Feudal  Strongholds — Transportation  of  Sick — Danger  to  Strag 
glers — Wayside  Crosses — Inscription — Puebla,  the  Home  of  Angels — The 
Angelic  Poblanas  smile  not  on  the  northern  Sons  of  Mars.  -  *  •*  51 

LETTER    XIII. 

An  old  Mexican  Town  "  set  to  rights"  and  disguised — The  Commander-in- 
chief  determines  to  advance  on  the  Capital — Danger  of  Delay — Pierce's 
Command  is  distributed — The  Army  composed  of  four  Divisions — The 
Marine  Regiment  is  assigned  to  General  Quitman's  Division  (of  Volun 
teers) — Component  Parts  of  the  Division — Churches  in  Puebla — Cathe 
dral — The  Governor's  Palace — Portales — Grand  Plaza— Market-place — 
Coaches — Departure  from  Puebla  by  Divisions — The  sight  of  the  Com 
mander-in-chief  inspires  confidence — Colonel  Childs  left  in  command  at 
Puebla — Relative  Conditions  of  Invading  and  Defending  Armies.  55 

LETTER   XIV. 

Buena  Vista — Country  and  Crops  from  Puebla  to  San  Martin — Pulque — 
Snow  Mountains — Popocatapetl  and  Istaccihuatl — The  more  Striking  be 
cause  Solitary — Ascent  of  the  Great  Barrier — An  Alarm — Rio  Frio — 
Airy  Lodgings — A  veritable  High-Road.  -----  58 

LETTER    XV. 

First  View  of  the  Central  Valley  of  Mexico — A  transparent  Atmosphere — 
Climate — Effects  of  Exposure — Concentration  of  the  Army — The  two 
Superior  Generals — ElPenon — Probable  Loss  of  Men  necessary  for  taking 
it — Snow-storm  in  the  Mountains — Reconnoitering.  ;-  61 


VI  CONTENTS. 


LETTER   XVI. 

The  Army  leaves  the  direct  Road  to  the  City  —  Chalco  —  An  old  Church  and 
an  old  Curate  —  Record  of  the  Padre's  Predecessors  —  A  fiery  Painting  —  A 
Voice  from  the  other  World  —  Human  Remains  —  Turning  Penon  —  Extinct 
Craters  —  Changes  wrought  by  Time.  -  -  *.^«  64 

LETTER   XVII. 

Cultivation  of  the  Soil  —  The  Maguey  Plant  (Agave  Americana)  —  Pulque, 
the  Wine  of  Mexico  —  Mescal,  the  Usquebaugh  —  The  Merits  of  Pulque, 
better  than  Nectar  —  Bringing  it  to  Market  —  Like  Vice,  it  comes, 

"  A  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 
As  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen," 

Yet  soon  becoming  familiar,  is  first  endured,  then  embraced-.  —  Manner  of 
Procuring  —  The  new  Liquor  (Agua  Miel,  Honey  Water),  resembles  the 
Milk  of  the  Green  Cocoanut  —  Various  Uses  of  the  Plant  —  Groves  of  Olive 
Trees  —  Vegetables  —  Fruits  —  A  Rough  Road  —  Obstructions  —  The  Ball 
Opened—  An  Officer  Killed.  67 

LETTER   XVIII. 

San  Augustin,  or  Tlalpam  —  Renewed  worship  of  HUITZLIPOCHTLI,  the  ancient 
God  of  War  —  San  Antonio—  Contreras  —  Field  of  Lava  (Pedregal)  —  Trans 
portation  of  Artillery  Pieces  —  Working  under  fire  of  the  Enemy  —  View 
from  a  Church  Tower  —  Batteries  Planted  —  A  bad  Night  —  Prospects  gloomy 
—  Enemy  elated  —  Sufferings  and  Exposure  of  our  Troops  —  Quitman's 
Reserve  starts  for  the  Scene  of  Action  —  Battle  won  before  reaching 
there  —  Prisoners  of  War,  &c.  —  Note  —  Some  Details  of  the  Battle  of  Con 
treras.  -  ••-«''  *  .'•"'  *•  *N  "  •  "  '  "  '  ^"  71 


LETTER  XIX. 

General  Worth  at  San  Antonio  —  General  Quitman  remains  at  San  Augustin 

—  Duties  of  the  Surgeons  —  Battle  continues  (at  Churubusco)  —  Losses  of 
New  York  and  South  Carolina  Regiments  —  Petition  of  the  Marine  Officers 

—  Fall  of  Churubusco  —  Merit  of  the  Army  —  Unity  —  National  Strength  — 
Mexico  deficient  in  the  most  important  Elements  of  a  People,  and  there 
fore  essentially  Weak—  Note—  Some  Details  of  the  Battle  of  Churubusco. 

81 


Vll 


LETTER  XX. 

Army  restrained  from  entering  the  City — Increased  means  of  Offence — A 
Truce — (The  Armistice) — The  Sick — Rumours — Conversations  with  Citi 
zens — Their  Character  and  Condition — No  respectable  Villagers — A  Mexi 
can  Household — A  kind  Lady — Death  of  an  Officer.  -  88 

LETTER  XXI. 

Return  Home  of  the  City  Folk — Diligencias — Captured  Deserters — A  Mexi 
can  Country  Town — Residences  (Casas  de  'Campo] — Gardens — Fruits — 
Gamblers'  Festival — Colonel  Watson,  Military  Governor.  -  •  V  92 

LETTER   XXII. 

Variety  in  the  Army — Citizen  Followers — Their  patriotism — Armistice 
broken — War  resumed — Orders  to  march — History  promises  success — 
Adieu  to  San  Augustin.  --------  95 


LETTER    XXIII. 

Female  Fidelity — Battle  of  Molino  del  Rey — Victory  dearly  bought — A  Bar 
barous  Enemy — Santa  Catalina — Fate  of  Deserters — San  Angel — A  Car 
melite  Convent — Mode  of  Confessing — Odd  Shots — Hard  Fare — Fruits  of 
Fair  Dealing — A  Night  March — Strategy — Broken  Slumbers — An  Acci 
dent — The  light  of  day  introduces  the  Castle  of  Chapultepec.  -  ?  97 

LETTER   XXIV. 

Bombardment  of  Chapultepec — Site  of  the  Castle— Opening  a  Hospital — 
Watching  the  Shots— General  Quitman  reconnoitering — General  Shields- 
Nights  without  rest — The  Assault — An  Active  Gun — Steadiness  of  the 
Americans — Interested  Spectators — Fall  of  Chapultepec — Death  of  Major 
Twiggs — Repair  to  the  Castle. 105 

LETTER  XXV. 

The  Dead  and  Dying — Mangled  Remains — Troops  moving  on  for  the  City — 
Want  of  Comforts  for  the  Wounded — Following  up  the  Division — A  Cau 
tion  to  keep  out  of  Harm's  Way — Interview  with  Officers  at  the  Garita 
of  Belen — Return  to  the  Castle — Duties  there — Stoicism — The  Corps  of 

Surgeons.  -  .-  •„-'•       -         -         -         -         -         *-'*    ;V4         -         -         109 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 


LETTER   XXVI. 

Unconditional  Surrender  of  the  City — Occupation  of  the  Citadel — Street 
Fighting — Rifles  versus  Escopets — Proclamations — A  sad  City — Decked 
out  with  Flags— Return  of  the  Absent—Shifting  Quarters — Fatality 
among  Field-Officers.  -  *  -  "• " '«! "". '"'''  t;  :  «  •  '...  113 


LETTER  XXVII. 

Amusements  versus  War — Supposed  Causes  of  Fatality  among  the  Wounded 
— Looking  for  a  Boarding-house — Take  Meals  at  a  French  Hotel,  in  the 
Street  of  the  Holy  Ghost — Earthquake — Followed  by  Sea-sickness — Gene 
ral  Quitman  made  Civil  and  Military  Governor — Martial  Law — Pillage 
not  allowed — A  Contribution  levied — Humane  disposition  of  it.  -  126 


LETTER    XXVIII. 

New  Quarters — The  City  not  on  Dry  Land — Brackish  Water — Drinking 
Water — Aguadores — Amusements — El  Teatro  National — Paseo — Alameda 
— Renewing  Acquaintance — A  Repast  of  Sweetmeats — Mexico  Travestied 
— The  Leper os  or  Greasers — Marriage  truly  de  convenance.  -  -  130 


LETTER   XXIX. 

A  Returning  Train — The  Grand  Plaza  —  Cathedral  —  Palace — Shops — A 
Triumphal  Column — Grave  Toys — Climate — An  Excursion  to  Guadalupe 
— A  Miraculous  Painting — The  Cathedral — A  Generous  Host — Distribu 
tion  of  the  Volunteer  Division.  * ,  '-V  .',"."*'  -  -  -  138 


LETTER    XXX. 

The  Cathedral — Less  Ornamented  than  formerly — Numerous  Chapels — 
Want  of  Cleanliness — The  Churches  of  the  Profesa  and  St.  Francis — 
Padres — On  the  Mission — General  Character  of  Mexican  Clergy — The  Bad 
most  Conspicuous — A  Remarkable  Brotherhood — Wants  a  Counterpart. 

137 


CONTENTS.  IX 

LETTER   XXXL 

First  News  from  Home — Madame  Calderon's  "  Life  in  Mexico" — Beggars — 
Robbers — Penalties  of  Wealth — Political  Misrule — A  Visit  to  Chapultepec 
— Cypress  of  Montezuma — A  Tertulia — Diversions — The  Women — Mystic 
Studies — Blue  Eyes — Social  Reserve — A  Murdered  Body.  -J"*^  -  140 


LETTER    XXXII. 

An  Aztec  Belle — General  Condition  of  the  Indians — Their  Character — Num 
bers — Appearance — Afflictions — Capacity — Religion — Mixed  Race — Cha 
racter  of  Leperos — They  may  be  made  Good  Citizens  by  Rigorous  Rule — 
Note :  Suspension  of  the  Alcabala.  ------  144 


LETTERXXXIII. 

Canete's  Benefit — Sable  Harmonists — Rumours  of  Insurrection — A  Sermon 
— The  City — Humboldt — Origin  of  the  Name  of  Mexico — The  Valley — 
Streets — Houses — Awnings — Peculiarity  in  Naming  the  Streets — Origin 
of  the  Former  City — The  Present  not  on  a  Firm  Foundation — Disappear 
ance  of  Lakes — Saline  Deposits — Church  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  Loreto. 

148 


LETTER   XXXIV. 

The  Viaticum — Church  Ceremonies — State  of  Religion — Releasing  Souls 
from  Purgatory — Friars  and  Secular  Clergy — Anniversary  Celebration  at 
Guadalupe  —  National  Museum  —  Colossal  Statue  —  Sacrificial  Stone  — 
Models  of  Mines,  &c. — Natural  Specimens — Wax  Figures.  -  -  152 

LETTER   XXXV. 

Robbery,  by  Wholesale  and  Retail — The  Arrieros— Their  Costume,  &c. — 
Contrast  with  the  Indians,  and  their  Burros  (Donkeys) — Women's  Cos 
tume — The  Rebozo — Infliction  of  Punishment — A  bold  Attempt  at  Rescue 
— Succeeds  as  it  Deserves — Botanical  Garden — Society — General  Scott 
and  the  Ladies — Churches  on  Christmas  Day — A  Pleasant  Evening.  166 


CONTKNTS. 


LETTER   XXX  VI. 

Legion  of  Beggars — Their  Dress  and  Fare — Danger  of  Sailing  under  False 
Colours  —  Public  Balls  —  Nymphs  of  Belemitas  —  More  amiable  than 
their  Lovers — Soubriquets — Visit  to  the  Mint— Accessions  to  the  Army — 
Prevalence  of  Sickness — Military  Police.  •  160 

LETTER   XXXVII. 

Social  Intercourse — Informal  Calls — Accomplishments  Cultivated — Topics 
of  Conversation — Manner  of  Passing  Evenings — Spaniards  vs.  Mexicans — 
Geography  at  a  Discount — Education  among  the  Wealthy  Improving — 
Women  of  the  Middle  Class.  163 

LETTER   XXXVIII. 

A  delightful  Book  for  studying  Spanish  —  Tasks  —  Recess  —  Precautions 
against  Robbers — Prescott's  History — A  Visit  to  Tacuba — Expenses  of 
Living— Aztec  Club— Visit  to  a  Cotton  Factory.  167 

LETTER   XXXIX. 

Gran  funcion  at  the  Plaza  de  Toros ;  Anglice,  a  Bull-fight — Circus — Pano 
rama — Carnaval — Ash-Wednesday — The  Viceroys — Introduction  of  Cop 
per  Coin  among  the  Indians — Velasco — His  manly  stand  in  favour  of  the 
Oppressed — La  Viga.  -  -  171 

LETTER    XL. 

Convicts  in  Chain-gangs — Their  Employment — Temporary  Marriages — 
Fueros,  or  Special  Privileges — Magic — Hospital  de  Jesus — Portrait  of 
Cortes — Diversions  modified  by  Lent — Names,  and  Diminutives — Religious 
Emblems.  ---  175 

LETTER  XL  I. 

Court  of  Inquiry — Hot  Springs — Former  Inundations — Surface  of  Lakes 
above  the  Level  of  the  City — Drains,  or  Desagvie — Floating  Gardens — 
Mexico,  a  Republic  only  in  Name — Social  Grades — Lawyers  and  Doctors. 

179 


CONTENTS.  XI 


LETTER   XLII. 

A  Change  of  Residence— The  House,  and  Family — A  Family  Dinner— The 
Market— Holy  Week — Palm  Sunday — A  Canoniffo—The  Service— A  Ser 
mon—"  Visiting  the  Sepulchres" — Bad  Taste— Temporary  Shops  for  Re 
freshments—Good  Friday — Rattles— Last  of  Lent.  -  183 

LETTER    XLIII. 

Villages  about  the  City — Academia  de  los  Artes  Nobles,  and  Mineria — Arrival 
of  Commissioners — Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec — Peace  not  desirable  to  the 
Mexicans — Drowsy  Watchmen — Illustrations  of  Bad  Government — Es 
pionage — Annexation,  or  Protection  desired.  -  -  -  -  187 

LETTER   XLIV. 

Marching  Orders — A  Diligence  attacked — Man  killed — Garrisons  on  the 
Way — Old  Obstructions — Pyramid  of  Cholula — The  March — Specie  Trains 
for  the  Coast ;  Merchandise  for  the  Interior — Jalapa— The  Starry  Moun 
tain — Graves  at  the  National  Bridge — The  Mud-hole  flourishing — Vera 
Cruz — Alvarado — A  Child's  Funeral — A  new  War.  -  191 


LETTER    XLV. 

Complimentary  Style  of  Mexican  Epistles — Works  on  Mexico — Extracts — 
Variety  of  Products  of  Mexico — Manufactures — The  Banana  and  Manioc 
(Tapioca)— Finale.  195 

APPENDIX. 

The  Siege  of  Vera  Cruz,    .    --r^1  -"      201 

Cerro  Gordo,          -         ...         _-_         .         _         __         213 
List  of  Officers, "_:__         .         _         226 


EL    PUCKER 0, 


A    MIXED    DISH    FROM    MEXICO. 


LETTER   I. 

Unsuccessful  Attempt  to  get  to  Vera  Cruz — Exposure  at  Sea — Vessel  proves 
a  Failure,  and  Returns — Reaches  New  York  in  time  for  Anniversary 
Celebration  of  Taylor's  Victories — News  of  Scott's  Victory  at  Cerro 
Gordo. 

New  York,  May,  1847. 

WE  reached  this  great  metropolis  some  days  ago,  after  an  unsuc 
cessful  attempt  to  get  to  Yera  Cruz.  We  sailed  from  Norfolk  the 
latter  part  of  March,  expecting  to  be  present  at  the  gathering  of 
laurels  anticipated  on  the  fall  of  the  stout  Castle  of  San  Juan  de 
Uloa. 

Our  little  cruise,  however,  brought  but  barren  perils  instead  of 
honours,  for  when  off  Cape  Hatteras,  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and 
the  storm,  we  found  our  little  craft  was  filling  fast. 

She  was  a  steamer,  an  iron  steamer,  so  deep  laden  that  every  old 
salt  that  saw  her  predicted  she  would  never  go  to  sea  in  such  con 
dition,  or  that  if  she  did,  she  would  never  return.  Their  predic 
tions  were  not  verified, — she  did  go  to  sea,  and  she  did  return,  though 
they  spoke  knowingly.  She  went  out  in  the  midst  of  evil  bodings. 

2 


14 

A  friend  in  bidding  you  farewell  would  look  upon  you  with  a  sort  of 
melancholy,  as  if  he  felt  something  he  could  not  express ;  the  sea 
gulls  were  skimming  about  in  the  harbour,  as  is  their  custom  when 
the  storm  rages  fierce  at  sea ;  the  sky  was  black  and  lowering,  and 
the  March  wind  blew  fitfully,  as  it  does,  now  sighing  and  moaning, 
now  howling  and  threatening.  Still  we  stood  on  ;  the  Kipraps  and 
Old  Point  Comfort  were  behind  us,  when  a  crash  was  heard  amid 
the  roar  of  the  elements,  causing  all  hands  to  rush  rapidly  on  deck. 
The  cause  was  soon  discovered.  Our  stern  boat  was  so  near  the 
water  that  she  was  struck  by  a  sea,  stove  in,  fairly  crushed,  and  one 
of  the  davits  by  which  she  swung  was  carried  away.  This  was  a 
bad  beginning — a  boat  gone  before  we  got  to  the  Capes.  But  this 
was  not  all,  for  it  soon  appeared  that  there  was  a  considerable  leak 
somewhere;  the  officers'  rooms  on  the  starboard  side  were  taking 
in  torrents  of  water.  The  pilot  was  very  unwilling  to  take  her  out 
to  sea;  and  the  captain,  upon  reflection,  determined  to  run  back 
under  the  lee  of  a  friendly  bit  of  terra  firma,  where  some  investiga 
tion  could  be  made.  We  accordingly  took  shelter  under  Sewell's 
Point  for  the  night.  The  leak  was  found,  as  supposed,  and  stopped, 
and  the  next  morning  we  stood  out  again  for  the  broad  Atlantic.  A 
little  after  noon  we  were  well  out  on  its  heaving  bosom.  The  pilot 
took  leave  of  us,  saying  as  he  went,  he  would  rather  go  in  the  most 

miserable  little  sloop  than  in  all  the  d d  steamers  that  were  ever 

built — but  we  stood  on.  The  wind  had  abated,  though  the  sea  was 
running  high,  and  favouring  us.  There  was  no  threatening  danger 
apparently,  but  I  had  begun  to  feel  we  might  never  return.  This, 
perhaps,  was  owing  in  part  to  the  sense  of  loneliness  and  dreariness 
that  the  great  dark,  boundless,  and  fathomless  sea  throws  over  every 
man,  when  he  has  been  enjoying  for  a  time  the  peaceful  happiness 
of  the  homestead.  Towards  evening  the  wind  freshened ;  at  mid 
night  it  blew  a  gale.  I  had  not  slept — I  was  in  no  frame  of  mind 
for  sleeping,  but  if  I  had  been,  numerous  little  streams  of  salt  water 
were  falling  on  my  bed  from  the  deck  above,  and  I  was  devising  ex 
pedients  to  keep  dry.  At  length,  wearied  out,  I  was  sinking  into  a 
sleep  in  spite  of  my  untimely  shower-bath,  when  a  general  distur 
bance,  and  a  rush  of  men  into  the  ward-room,  woke  me,  warning  me 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  15 

at  the  same  time  that  there  was  danger.  A  moment  sufficed  to  ex 
plain.  I  jumped  from  my  berth  to  pull  on  my  boots,  but  found  them 
swimming  in  water ;  the  men  were  tearing  up  the  hatch  letting  into 
the  spirit-room  and  hold,  which  were  full  of  water  and  overflowing. 
The  steamer  was  divided  into  three  compartments,  and  the  after  one 
was  filling  rapidly ;  so  much  so,  that  the  active  baling  of  the  whole 
crew  made  no  impression  on  the  accumulating  waters.  Where  were 
your  pumps  ?  you  may  ask.  They  were  where  we  could  get  no  good 
of  them,  that  is,  in  the  middle  compartment,  separated  from  the 
after  one  by  heavy  iron  bulkheads.  It's  true  there  was  a  valve 
making  communication  between  the  two,  but  it  was  deep  under 
water  and  choked  by  the  washings  from  the  store-rooms.  Now, 
what  was  to  be  done  ?  Baling  by  buckets  was  hopeless,  and  our 
pumps  useless.  That  she  was  settling  by  the  stern  was  evident,  and 
we  began  to  think  more  of  seeing  Davy  Jones  than  Santa  Anna. 
But  in  fact  it  was  no  time  for  thinking — the  captain  was  giving 
orders  on  deck,  heaving  over  an  extra  supply  of  coal  that  was  weigh 
ing  her  down ;  the  first  lieutenant,  a  man  that  "  had  a  heart  for 
every  fate,"  was  urging  on  the  work  with  an  admirable  serenity ; 
the  second  was  backing  him  •  and  indeed  each  and  every  officer  and 
man  seemed  to  feel  himself  called  on  to  summon  his  energies  and 
bend  himself,  might  and  main,  to  his  duty.  Fortunately,  though 
the  sea  was  still  running  high,  the  wind  was  falling,  otherwise,  float 
ing  as  she  was,  bows  rising  and  stern  sinking,  we  were  in  a  fair  way 
for  shipping  a  sea,  and  going  down  stern  foremost.  But  this  was 
not  our  destiny.  The  engineer,  after  great  labour  with  his  party,  had 
succeeded  in  breaking  off  some  rivet-heads,  and,  driving  the  rivets 
through  the  bulkhead,  the  water  found  its  way  into  the  engine-room. 
Now  came  a  mighty  power  to  help  the  weary  crew.  When  the 
engineers  manned  the  pumps,  the  work  began  to  tell ;  in  a  little 
while,  between  pumping  and  baling,  the  valve  was  found  and 
cleared,  and  then  the  work  went  rapidly  on.  Not  a  man  on  board 
but  breathed  freer ;  though  throughout  none  had  shown  unmanly 
fear.  The  whole  scene  passed  in  about  two  hours  of  a  dark  and 
stormy  night,  from  six  bells  in  the  mid  watch  to  two  in  the  morning 
watch,  that  is,  from  three  to  five  o'clock  A.M.  The  crew  had  become 


16 


OR 


nearly  exhausted,  and  but  for  the  expedient  that  brought  the  engines 
to  relieve  their  labours,  we  must  all  have  perished.  Now,  however, 
that  the  pressing  danger  had  passed,  the  captain  determined  to  stand 
for  Charleston,  have  his  craft  overhauled,  and  the  leaks  stopped 
effectually.  But  a  new  difficulty  presented  itself — our  trusty  engines 
well-nigh  ceased  to  serve  us.  We  had  been  supplied  with  a  bad 
quality  of  coal,  that  ran  in  glazed  cakes  of  clinker,  or  refuse,  over 
the  bars,  and  thus  the  fires  failed.  We  were  still  upon  a  stormy 
sea,  no  land  in  sight,  in  a  leaky  ship  that  had  nothing  to  trust  to 
but  her  engines  to  keep  her  free.  Our  engineer  and  his  assistants, 
however,  were  not  men  to  stand  with  their  hands  in  their  pockets 
when  there  was  work  to  be  done — they  almost  lived  in  the  fires  ; 
keeping  one  engine  going  with  light  wood,  while  raking  the  clinker 
out  of  the  other ;  and  thus  raking  out  and  firing  up  did  they  live, 
like  salamanders,  until  we  reached,  with  great  difficulty,  Ocrecoke 
Inlet,  on  the  "  rock-bound  coast"  of  Carolina.  Here  we  obtained  an 
indifferent  supply  of  wood  fuel — waited  for  a  smooth  sea,  and  coasted 
back  to  Norfolk  as  best  we  could,  thence  to  Washington,  where  we 
lightened  our  hapless  craft  of  everything  that  could  be  removed 
from  her,  when  we  took  her  finally  to  New  York,  where  she  will 
probably  rest  for  years,  or,  it  may  be,  for  ever !  When  perfectly 
empty,  her  own  weight  sinks  her  as  deep  in  the  water  as  she  ought 
to  be  full  freighted ;  and  it  was  thence  in  part  that  she  was  so  leaky, 
for  seams  in  her  sides  that  were  intended  to  be  always  above  water, 
were  always  under,  and  not  being  water-tight,  they  were  a  source  of 
perpetual  annoyance  and  danger. 

We  reached  this  city  in  time  to  witness  the  brilliant  illumination 
commemorating  the  anniversary  of  General  Taylor's  great  victories 
in  Mexico.  On  the  same  day  came  news  of  General  Scott's  success 
at  Cerro  Gordo,  which  added  additional  zest  to  the  rejoicings.  I 
met  with  friends  from  Virginia  and  Baltimore,  and  with  them 
struggled  through  the  mass  of  human  beings  that  filled  the  streets, 
countless  as  the  "  sands  on  the  sea-shore."  Wearied  at  length  of 
the  glare,  the  glitter,  and  the  immensity  of  this  modern  Babel,  I 
sought  my  bed  at  the  ASTOR,  where  I  dreamed  all  night  of  fire 
works  and  firearms,  honour  and  glory,  and  sieges  and  shipwrecks. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  17 


LETTER   II. 

Sail  with  Troops  in  a  Transport  Ship — A  Military  School  at  Sea — A  Sailor 
Captain's  History — Trouble  at  Havana. 

U.  S.  Transport  Ship,  off  Havana,  June. 

WHEN  rid  of  the  steamer,  I  fancied  myself  rid  of  the  war,  and 
being  very  little  inclined  to  seek  renown  upon  the  battle-field,  I 
gave  myself  up  to  sweet  delusions  of  a  happy  period  to  be  enjoyed 
with  "wife,  children,  and  friends/'  My  enjoyment,  alas!  was  as 
short-lived  as  the  insects  that  come  into  life  with  the  rising  sun  to 
die  with  its  setting.  Scarcely  had  I  crossed  the  threshold  of  my 
mountain  home,  when  a  yellow-coated  document  was  handed  me 
directing  my  immediate  return  to  New  York  for  a  tour  of  most  ar 
duous  duty.  No  time  was  allowed  for  preparation;  the  call  was 
imperative.  I  was  to  go,  and  to  go  at  once ;  there  was  nothing  to 
be  done  but  to  obey.  A  few  days  found  me  quartered  at  Fort  Hamil 
ton,  below  New  York,  where  the  regiment  was  forming  with  which 
I  was  to  serve ;  in  a  few  more  we  were  beating  to  the  southward 
against  a  strong  southerly  wind.  When  a  man  first  ventures  on  salt 
water,  if  at  all  imaginative,  he  can  make  a  very  good  story  of  a  very 
common  cruise.  The  novelty  of  all  surrounding  objects  strikes  him 
forcibly ;  the  solemn  grandeur  of  the  ocean,  the  sailing  qualities  of 
the  ship,  her  tall  spars  and  ample  canvass,  the  queer  ways  of  the 
old  sea-dogs,  their  immense  appetites,  while  the  very  idea  of  eating 
nauseates  the  landsman,  their  ignorance  of  the  most  common-place 
knowledge  on  shore,  and  their  intelligence  in  the  mysteries  of  their 
craft,  their  songs  and  practical  jokes,  &c.,  &c., — all  combined,  make 
the  landsman  feel  himself  in  a  new,  if  not  a  better,  world,  and 
he  has  only  to  portray  vividly  to  make  his  story  interesting.  First 
impressions  are  here,  as  elsewhere,  strongest;  a  little  experience 
makes  a  man  so  much  at  home  at  sea,  that  he  cannot  fancy  any 
account  of  his  life  there  would  be  entertaining.  On  board  of  our 
ship,  fife  and  drum  superseded  the  boatswain's  whistle;  we  hear 

2* 


18  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

more  of  " right  face"  and  "left  face/'  than  of  "starboard"  and 
"larboard,"  for  most  of  the  men  are  recruits,  and  many  of  the 
officers  are  young  men  who  have  just  girded  on  their  swords  for  the 
first  time.  A  gallant  captain,  whose  head  had  grown  gray  in  the 
service,  feeling  an  honest  pride  in  the  discipline  and  drill  of  his  corps, 
spent  all  his  spare  time  giving  "first  lessons,"  now  to  the  young 
gentlemen,  and  now  to  the  recruits.  This  gives  occupation  to  those 
concerned,  and  amusement  to  those  who  are  not,  but  the  idlers  had 
at  times  to  run  ingloriously,  like  Mr.  Pickwick  and  his  party,  not 
to  be  caught  in  a  charge  of  "  bristling  bayonet." 

So  far  our  voyage  has  been  uninteresting.  We  came  by  the 
"  Hole  in  the  Wall,"  a  natural  sea-traversed  tunnel,  and  the  Ba 
hama  Banks,  where  we  were  detained  by  calms  and  head  winds  ',  we 
had  the  gratification  of  seeing  a  dozen  other  ships  baffled  like  our 
selves,  some  of  them  troop  ships.  A  steamer  hove  in  sight  as  if  to 
tantalize  us,  showed  herself  and  was  off,  leaving,  in  a  little  while, 
nothing  but  a  streak  of  black  smoke  on  the  horizon  to  show  where 
she  had  been.  We  had  to  content  ourselves  examining  the  clear 
coral  bottom  over  which  we  were  lying,  or  fishing  for  groupers,  &c., 
that  we  never  caught.  The  captain  of  the  ship  one  night  took  it 
into  his  head  to  tell  us  his  history,  which  was  somewhat  as  follows. 
He  was  born  of  humble  parentage  at  Marblehead ;  his  first  recol 
lections  are,  that  he  was  sent  out  with  the  fishermen,  and  that  it  was 
his  business  to  hawk  his  fish  through  the  streets  on  his  return.  He 
thus  commenced  a  sea-life  before  he  was  seven  years  of  age.  All 
the  proceeds  of  his  industry  were  appropriated  by  his  parents ;  he 
never  knew  an  article  of  luxury,  not  even  comfort,  and  never 
was  allowed  a  cent  to  spend.  He  led  a  life  of  absolute  slavery 
from  seven  to  seventeen  years  of  age ;  he  knew  his  parents  as  exact 
ing  task-masters,  but  not  as  guardians  and  friends.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen,  he  became  master  of  half  a  dollar,  and  supplicated  his 
mother  to  let  him  go  forth  to  try  his  fortune,  to  which  she  gave  a 
very  reluctant  consent.  His  highest  ambition  was  to  go  to  sea  be 
fore  the  mast.  Accordingly  he  started  for  Boston,  and  was  soon 
gratified.  Having  suffered  many  privations,  he  returned  at  the  end 
of  a  year  with  money  enough  to  buy  himself  a  suit  of  clothes,  with 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  19 

a  hundred  dollars  to  spare.  His  mother,  after  censuring  his  extra 
vagance  (he  had  spent  fifteen  or  twenty  dollars  in  twelve  months), 
appropriated  the  remaining  money  to  herself.  She  looked  upon 
him  as  a  bondsman  bringing  home  his  hire.  He  pursued  his  career, 
improved  his  opportunities,  and  at  twenty-one  was  mate  of  a  ship. 
In  time  he  was  advanced  to  the  command  of  a  vessel,  and  though 
emancipated,  he  left  half  of  his  pay  for  the  support  of  his  parents  as 
long  as  they  lived.  This  man  is  as  rough  as  a  bear;  coarse  in  his 
manners  and  hard-favoured  in  his  features,  but  his  virtues  as  a  son, 
in  my  eyes,  redeem  him.  He  told  us  that  what  he  said  of  himself 
was  the  common  history  of  the  greater  part  of  his  native  commu 
nity. 

Calms  and  squalls.  So  it  is  ever  in  the  tropics  when  out  of  trade- 
winds,  or  sea  and  land  breezes.  We  were  brought  by  "  cat's-paws" 
from  Bahama  Banks  to  Cuba.  Now  our  sails  spread  to  the  refresh 
ing  sea-breeze.  I  cannot  imagine  a  more  perfect  destitution  of 
comfort  than  to  be  becalmed  at  sea  under  a  tropical  sun.  The 
thermometer  ranges  from  84°  to  90°  in  the  shade;  it's  hot  on  deck, 
sweltering  below — your  provisions  are  dry  and  salty,  and  you  be 
come  parched  and  feverish,  and  then  when  you  want  to  relieve  your 
thirst,  to  be  offered  warm,  perhaps  slimy  water,  enlivened  by  ani 
malcules — is  it  not  enough  to  make  a  Christian  man  forswear  the  sea 
and  its  abominations  ?  Yet  the  love  of  adventure  or  the  love  of 
gold,  or  mere  restlessness,  or  some  wicked  Genius,  that  delights  in 
human  misery,  sends  endless  thousands  to  live  and  die  on  the  un 
friendly  element.  And  so  it  will  ever  be — why  ?  Let  echo  answer. 

We  are  now  off  Havana  in  a  snarl  with  the  authorities.  Some 
of  our  officers  went  in  to  obtain  fresh  supplies,  but  they  entered  in 
formally,  without  regular  permission,  although  they  believed  it  was 
granted  them  by  an  officer  as  they  passed  the  Moro  Castle.  It 
seems  his  permission  was  of  no  avail ;  they  landed  without  exami 
nation  by  the  health  officer,  and  are  not  allowed  to  return  with 
out  paying  each  a  fine  of  two  hundred  dollars.  This  they  consider 
as  unjust  as  it  is  inconvenient.  Our  consul  is  doing  his  best  to  get 
them  released,  but  his  only  success  is  that  of  keeping  them  out  of 
the  calabosa.  Meantime  we  on  shipboard  have  to  be  content  with 


20  EL  PUCIIERO,  OR 

gazing  on  the  gay-looking  town,  and  the  bright  green  hills  which 
surround  it ;  the  ample  harbour  which  we  dare  not  enter,  and  the 
frowning  castles  that  protect  it.  There  is  a  beautiful  contrast  of 
long  low  houses,  dazzling  white,  with  the  green  cocoas  overtopping 
them,  in  all  the  rich  verdure  of  the  tropics,  in  the  background. 
The  scenery  is  highly  picturesque.  As  we  stand  off  and  on,  nume 
rous  dolphins  are  playing  around  us ;  their  varying  hues  surpass  the 
richest  plumage  of  the  feathered  tribe. 

Some  of  our  party -have  returned  to  the  ship,  after  paying  their 
fines — others  remained  to  contend  with  the  authorities  about  their 
injustice.  We  wait  no  longer,  but  bidding  adieu  to  the  shores  of 
Cuba,  direct  our  course  at  once  to  those  of  Mexico. 


LETTER   III. 

Water-Spout — A  Pilot  in  a  Chain-Gang — Vigilance  of  Port  Captain— Ap 
proach  Vera  Cruz — Bright  Prospects — Spies  and  Lassos — Landing  on  the 
Beach — Storm  Ashore — Yellow  Fever — Churches  Occupied  as  General 
Hospitals— The  Town— Oi  Polloi— The  Walls. 

Camp  Vergara  (near  Vera  Cruz),  July. 

AFTER  leaving  Havana,  we  passed  near  enough  to  see  the  action 
of  a  water-spout,  but  not  to  feel  its  influence,  fortunately.  One  of 
the  officers  who  had  been  victimized  at  that  city,  told  me  he  saw  a 
pilot  working  in  a  chain-gang,  pointed  out  to  him  by  our  Consul, 
whose  only  crime  had  consisted  in  taking  some  passengers  from  an 
American  man-of-war  to  the  city,  when  the  ship  was  passing  by  the 
harbour  and  too  much  pressed  for  time  to  go  in  herself.  He  attri 
butes  the  unjust  treatment  which  himself  and  companions  received, 
to  the  greediness  of  the  Port  Captain,  who  had  winked  at  their  land 
ing  that  he  might  pocket  their  fines. 

As  we  neared  this  coast,  we  kept  a  bright  look  out  for  volcanoes, 
Tuxtla  and  Orizaba :  the  fires  of  the  former  are  occasionally  to  be 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  21 

seen  at  night,  according  to  Blunt's  "  Coast  Pilot,"  but  we  failed  to 
discover  them.  Favourable  winds  brought  us  rapidly  towards  Vera 
Cruz,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  29th  ult.,  we  made  the  light,  and 
took  a  pilot  on  board.  His  accounts  were  highly  encouraging — 
General  Scott  was  dead,  had  just  died  at  Puebla  of  dysentery — the 
army  was  hemmed  in  at  that  city  without  supplies  or  resources ; 
every  train  that  started  for  the  interior  was  cut  off;  yellow  fever 
was  annihilating  our  troops  in  the  tierras  calientes ;  guerrilla  war 
fare  was  effecting  the  same  on  the  highways,  &c.,  &c.,  all  of  which 
this  worthy  Mexican  seemed  to  believe  without  reservation. 

We  soon  found,  indeed,  that  except  as  to  the  death  of  the  distin 
guished  chief  of  the  army,  there  was  some  foundation  for  all  the 
rumours  he  had  given  us,  though  monstrously  exaggerated.  Landing 
at  Vera  Cruz,  we  found  that  scarce  an  American  had  failed  to  have 
an  attack  of  the  fever,  and  that  it  was  fearfully  fatal.  Without  our 
lines,  the  guerrilla  war  is  in  full  blast ;  every  motion  of  our  troops 
is  watched  and  noted,  and  no  individual  nor  small  party  can  go  out 
of  reach  of  the  sentry's  fire,  without  a  strong  probability  of  being 
lassoed  and  murdered. 

Our  command  was  not  landed  at  the  city,  but  on  the  beach  about 
three  miles  off,  at  a  camp  where  some  two  thousand  men  are  now 
collected  under  Brigadier-General  Pierce.  We  came  ashore  in  surf- 
boats,  each  of  which  is  capable  of  transporting  from  sixty  to  eighty 
men.  They  are  very  strong  vessels,  built  to  stem  the  breakers ;  be 
ing  too  large  to  get  up  to  the  beach,  we  had  to  follow  the  example 
of  Caesar's  army  invading  Britain ;  we  jumped  over,  all  standing, 
and  waded  to  the  camp-ground.  We  landed  on  the  3d  of  July, 
and  had  a  most  inhospitable  reception.  During  the  night,  a  tre 
mendous  norther  set  in,  a  rare  occurrence  at  this  season,  accom 
panied  by  torrents  of  rain.  The  camp  is  on  a  sand-beach,  between 
a  low  range  of  sand-hills  and  the  sea,  in  a  space  from  one  to  two 
hundred  yards  wide.  The  exposure  is  to  the  northward  and  east 
ward, — so  we  were  planted  to  receive  the  full  benefit  of  the  gale. 
Somewhere  about  midnight,  or  later,  we  were  roused  by  shouts  and 
yells  from  all  quarters,  blended  with  the  confused  roar  of  wind, 
sea,  and  rain.  Our  rest  was  broken  most  effectually.  The  scant 


22  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

bedding  we  had  prepared  for  the  field,  was  becoming  saturated  with 
water ;  the  tent  was  leaking  from  above  ;  the  sand  below  was  absorb 
ing  the  water  from  the  eaves  like  a  sponge.  Two  of  us  occupied 
one  tent,  and  putting  our  wits  together,  we  noticed  that  no  water 
dropped  in  over  the  ridge-pole,  so  we  gathered  up  what  was  yet  dry 
of  the  bedding,  and  sat  bolt  upright,  amidships.  Now  we  were  so 
snug  that  we  laughed  at  the  afflictions  of  our  less  protected  neigh 
bours,  for  we  could  hear  by  their  exclamations  that  they  were 
drenched  and  were  running  about,  helter-skelter,  to  look  for  quar 
ters.  "  Captain 's  tent  is  down,"  "  There  goes  the  Major's," 

"  None  standing  in  Company  B.,"  and  so  forth,  were  the  cries  all 
around  us,  and  we  were  getting  very  funny  at  the  expense  of  people 
who  "  built  their  houses  on  the  sand — the  wind  and  the  waves 
came,"  &c.,  but  our  glorification  was  very  short.  "  Who  lives  here  ?" 
says  a  familiar  voice;  "let  me  in;  my  tent  is  gone  and  my  overcoat 
is  soaking."  Before  any  answer  could  be  given,  the  strings  of  the 
tent  door  were  let  loose,  in  came  a  puff  of  furious  wind  and  rain, 
and  our  house  of  canvass,  already  tottering,  starts  off  first  like  a  bal 
loon,  and  then  turns  quietly  over  on  her  beam  ends.  And  oh  what 
a  sight  the  lightning  flashes  revealed  to  us !  The  camp  was  in  the 
sea,  or  looked  so,  that  is,  what  little  was  left  of  it — the  storm  was 
driving  the  breakers  in  upon  us ;  the  sand-hills  were  sending  down 
their  torrents ;  whole  streets  of  tents  were  prostrate,  yet  kept  in  their 
order  more  or  less  perfectly  by  their  fastenings — officers  were  run 
ning  here  and  there,  in  dress  and  undress,  looking  for  the  men ;  the 
men  were  intent  on  saving  their  muskets  and  ammunition;  and 
such  a  scene  of  confusion,  yelling,  screaming,  laughing,  swearing,  is 
rarely  to  be  found  in  a  lifetime.  My  companion  and  myself,  did 
the  best  we  could  under  the  circumstances ;  we  mounted  guard  over 
our  effects,  and  as  the  wind  would  lull,  we  worked  away  at  our 
treacherous  mansion  to  right  it,  which  we  would  have  done  a  dozen 
times,  but  as  the  broad  surface  was  presented  to  the  wind,  a  fierce 
puff  would  destroy  our  labours.  The  "  glorious  4th,"  never  dawned 
upon  so  disconsolate  a  body  of  freemen  as  upon  that  occasion  at 
Camp  Vergara ;  not  a  warrior  but  was  wet  and  dirty,  cold  and  hun 
gry  ;  and,  as  not  a  dry  stick  of  wood  was  to  be  found,  or  a  place  to 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  23 

make  a  fire,  he  had  to  "  chew  the  cud  of  sweet  and  bitter  fancy"  for 
many  an  hour  before  his  palate  was  tickled  with  anything  more 
nourishing. 

Duty  calls  me  to  the  city  daily,  and  besides  my  occupations  in  the 
camp,  which  are  manifold,  I  am  much  engaged  in  getting  supplies  of 
medicines  and  hospital  stores.  The  army  surgeons  stationed  here, 
tell  me  they  receive  many  cases  of  yellow  fever  daily ;  that  in  good 
constitutions  it  is  tractable,  but  very  fatal  to  the  debauched  and 
reckless.  In  the  cure,  quinine  in  large  doses  is  their  sheet  anchor. 
Several  spacious  churches  are  occupied  as  hospitals. 

Vera  Cruz  has  a  dilapidated  look,  independent  of  the  battering  it 
received  from  the  invaders ;  many  buildings  yet  show  the  shot-holes 
made  by  the  combined  forces  of  Scott  and  Perry.  The  houses  are 
all  of  the  old  Spanish  school,  flat-roofed,  or  tiled,  quadrangular,  with 
their  central  courts  and  balconies.  They  are  built  of  brick  or  coral, 
and  whitened.  At  the  landing  is  a  noble  mole,  over  which  are  now 
suspended  huge  canvass  awnings.  You  enter  the  city  from  the  sea 
by  the  mole  and  an  arched  gateway  passing  under  the  middle  of  the 
custom-house,  a  splendid  edifice  for  this  country.  Then  you  have 
before  you  the  grand  plaza,  which  ought  to  be  daguerreotyped  with 
the  motley  crowd  that  enlivens  it.  "  Horse,  foot,  and  dragoons," 
wagons,  carts,  artillery-carriages,  mules,  donkeys,  greasers,  soldiers, 
sailors,  drunken  men,  Indian  women,  boys,  musicians,  and  all  kinds 
of  adventurers  jostle  each  other,  so  that  it  requires  no  trifling  care  to 
steer  your  course  through  them  in  safety.  Out  of  the  great  plaza 
the  town  looks  comparatively  dull,  except  towards  the  gate  leading 
to  the  camp,  and  there  two  human  currents  are  generally  to  be 
found.  The  city  is  completely  and  closely  walled ;  a  great  disad 
vantage  to  it  in  point  of  health,  for  the  wall  obstructs  ventilation ; 
one  may  constantly  enjoy  in  upper  stories  an  invigorating,  health- 
bringing  sea-breeze,  while  in  the  streets  and  on  ground-floors,  not  a 
breath  of  air  is  stirring.  Adios. 


24  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 


LETTER  IV. 

Peak  of  Orizaba — Castle  of  San  Juan — Fare  in  Camp — Fruits — Sand-flies 
and  Mosquitoes  —  A  Courier — Rumours — Sickness — Abduction  of  an 
Officer. 

Camp  Vergara  (near  Vera  Cruz),  July. 

COMING  into  the  harbour  of  Yera  Cruz,  two  remarkable  objects 
strike  the  eye — Orizaba  and  the  Castle  of  San  Juan  de  Uloa.  I 
know  not  in  what  terms  to  commemorate  the  first  view  of  the  former. 
From  the  moment  my  eyes  rested  on  it,  I  threw  aside  worthy  Gil 
Bias  to  gaze  on  this  brilliant  monument  of  the  almighty  Architect. 
What  can  be  conceived  more  dazzling,  startling,  and  grand,  than  an 
immense  snow  pyramid,  looming  up  eighteen  thousand  feet  above 
your  level,  rearing  its  lofty  head  far  above  the  clouds  ?  You  see  no 
base,  no  pedestal,  but  it  towers  aloft  like  the  conception  of  Michael 
Angelo  in  regard  to  the  Pantheon,  "I  will  suspend  it  in  middle 
air/'  and  with  its  huge  base  and  sides  girdled  with  vapour,  one 
might  fancy  that  He' "who  holds  the  earth  in  the  hollow  of  his 
hand"  held  aloft  the  hoary  peak  of  Orizaba. 

The  sight  of  it,  however  grand,  is  not  always  most  grateful  to  the 
mariner;  for  glorious  as  it  is,  particularly  when  first  impinged  by  the 
rays  of  the  morning's  sun,  to  the  eye  of  the  practised  seaman  it 
bodes  disaster.  A  clear  view  of  it  is  one  of  the  forerunners  of  a 
storm,  as  we,  indeed,  experienced. 

The  Castle  of  San  Juan,  a  great  work  in  its  way,  ought  scarcely 
to  be  mentioned  on  the  same  page  with  Orizaba;  it  is  at  best  but  a 
work  of  art,  and  who  compares  art  with  nature  ?  the  created  being 
and  his  works  with  the  Creator  and  His?  The  great  castle,  the 
object  of  so  much  speculation  before  it  fell,  is  now  in  the  hands  of 
our  troops,  and  they  have  found  in  it  another  Augean  stable.  Dis 
ease  is  rife  there,  and  more  fatal  to  the  conquerors  than  the  fire  of 
the  enemy. 

You  must  give  me  the  liberty  of  being  discursive,  and  to  write 
always  what  comes  uppermost ;  my  bump  of  order  and  arrangement 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  25 

is  much  smaller  than  some  others  that  are  less  valuable.  I  transport 
you  from  the  harbour  to  my  tent,  where  you  will  find  my  friend 
probably  having  the  dinner-table  set.  The  most  fastidious  can  find 
no  fault  with  our  table  linen,  silver  or  glass,  whatever  may  be  said 
of  the  cookery  and  tin  cups.  Behold  the  dinner!  One  heavy  box  is 
set  in  the  middle  of  the  tent  and  has  two  smaller  ones  for  flankers. 
That's  the  chairs  and  table.  Here  comes  an  attendant  with  some 
rashers  of  pork,  a  dish  of  beans,  some  fried  plantains,  and  hard  tack, 
i.  e.  pilot  bread.  "No  fresh  meat  to-day ?"  "No,  sir,  none  to  be 
had."  "I  saw  chickens  and  eggs  in  camp,  why  did  you  not  buy 
some?"  "All  bought  up  long  before  they  got  here,"  responds  our 
cook,  major  domo,  and  valet  de  chambre.  Well,  we  turn  to,  "with 
what  appetite  we  may,"  when,  inquiring  hopelessly  if  there's  nothing 
else,  our  accomplished  attendant  informs  us  that  he  has  some  soup 
in  the  background.  "Better  late  than  never,"  bring  it  on;  and 
here  it  comes,  sturdy  bean  soup ;  a  pint  of  it  would  nourish  a  citizen- 
gentleman  for  a  week.  It  is  coarse  but  wholesome;  so  we  make  no 
faces,  nor  even  comment  on  its  coming  by  way  of  dessert.  But  we 
have  something  better.  The  water  is  very  warm,  and  we  fish  up  a 
bottle  of  claret  to  cool  it.  Directly,  here  comes  an  Indian  woman 
with  fruit;  will  take  some  of  her  maumee  apples  that  are  no  apples 
at  all,  some  alligator  pears  as  like  as  the  apples,  and  some  bananas, 
the  fruit  of  the  tropics.  The  alligator  pears  (somewhat  pear-shaped, 
but  not  otherwise  resembling  that  fruit)  are  delicious;  they  are  called 
with  more  propriety  vegetable  marrow,*  and  may  be  eaten  either 
scooped  out  from  the  skin  and  sprinkled  with  pepper  and  salt,  or 
spread  on  a  slice  of  bread  in  place  of  butter. 

Now  after  an  average  dinner,  or  perhaps  something  better,  we  will 
sit  awhile  in  the  shade,  under  our  own  vine  and  fig-tree,  with  the 
tent  door  tied  back,  and  the  whole  establishment  looped  up  from 
below  to  let  the  sea-breeze  pass  through,  and  to  drive  off  the  sand- 
flies.  These  little  creatures  are  equal  to  any  of  the  plagues  of 
Egypt;  they  get  into  your  nose,  ears  and  mouth,  bite  your  face,  neck 
and  fingers,  and  keep  faithfully  on  duty  until  relieved  at  night  by 


*  By  the  Spaniards,  aguacdte. 
3 


26  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

mosquitoes.  Then  for  the  music;  tattoo  is  nothing  to  it.  Speaking 
of  petty  nuisances,  I  must  not  overlook  the  sand-crab.  The  beach 
is  full  of  them;  you  will  find  a  dozen  of  their  holes  under  your  bed, 
and  you  must  take  care  at  night  of  fingers  and  toes,  for  they  some 
times  seize  them  with  the  force  of  a  pair  of  nippers. 

Well,  after  dinner,  you  can  smoke  your  cigar  and  look  around  in 
your  neighbours'  tents;  there's  some  aristocrat  still  at  dinner  when 
it  is  near  one  o'clock;  he  drinks  out  of  britannia  instead  of  a  tin  cup, 
and  has  his  dinner  on  a  barrel-head,  while  he  sits  on  a  camp-stool. 
What  ostentation! 

Now  a  courier,  a  rara  avisy  passes  through  the  camp  to  the  city. 
When  the  sun  declines  a  little  we  will  follow  him  in  for  the  news. 
A  thousand  rumours  are  afloat,  generally  spread,  doubtless,  by  the 
Mexicans,  and,  perhaps,  generally  believed  by  them.  Disasters  and 
defeats  crowd  upon  us.  All  the  parties  that  lately  left  here  to  join 
the  main  army  have  been  cut  up.  Their  specie  wagons,  ammunition, 
and  provisions  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  It  is  hard  to 
conceive  a  situation  where  it  is  so  hard  to  get  at  the  truth;  we  are 
surrounded  by  enemies,  who  take  the  greatest  pains  to  spread  bad 
news,  and  to  conceal  all  that  we  wish  to  learn.  The  last  information 
was  that  General  Cadwalader  had  been  overwhelmed  and  captured, 
and  that  General  Pillow,  who  went  to  the  rescue,  shared  his  fate. 
We  have  no  means  of  knowing  how  far  these  reports  are  true,  but 
we  believe  them  to  be  exaggerations  and  misrepresentations.  In 
addition,  sickness  is  spreading  rapidly  in  the  camp.  We  have  a 
scorching  sun  during  the  day,  and  rain  every  night,  from  neither  of 
which  the  tents  give  adequate  protection.  The  men  spread  their 
blankets  on  the  sand  at  night,  but  the  water  passes  freely  under 
them,  besides  the  leakage  of  the  tent,  which  is  Very  great.  The 
consequence  is,  we  are  beset  with  camp  dysentery,  a  disease  well 
known  in  all  armies,  especially  on  southern  service.  The  diet  is  not 
adapted  to  the  climate,  and  the  water  is  unendurable,  or  would  be  if 
men  were  not  obliged  to  drink  something.  The  sick  list,  as  may  be 
supposed,  grows  rapidly;  in  one  week  the  patients  under  my  care 
rose  from  thirty  to  upwards  of  one  hundred.  We  are,  however, 
exempt  from  the  vomito.  A  popular  remedy  in  dysentery  is  a  cold 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  27 

infusion  of  the  Cactus  Opuntia  (prickly  pear),  of  which  the  men 
make  a  mucilaginous  drink  like  benne,  or  gum  water;  it  does  not 
cure,  though  it  has  a  favourable  influence  on  the  disease. 

There  has  been  great  excitement  in  the  camp  in  the  last  few  days, 
from  an  officer,  the  adjutant  of  the  14th  Infantry,  having  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  the  Mexicans.  He  was  walking  out  of  the  city,  ac 
companied  by  a  single  soldier,  when  they  were  attacked  by  a  party 
of  ranchcros,  the  soldier  knocked  down,  a  musket  snapped  at  his 
head,  and  the  officer  captured  after  a  desperate  resistance.  This 
happened  within  pistol-shot  of  the  walls  of  Vera  Cruz.  The  soldier 
made  his  escape  and  gave  the  information,  when  various  parties  went 
in  pursuit,  but  they  returned  without  any  success.  It  is  supposed 
the  officer  has  been  murdered.* 

Let  us  put  off  our  trip  to  the  city  to  another  day.  We  will  rise 
betimes  in  the  morning,  take  a  sea-bath  in  the  breakers,  and  then 
and  there  enjoy  the  only  luxury  known  at  Camp  Vergara. 


LETTER    V. 

Rumours  corrected — Naval  Service  on  the  Coast — Malaria— Shops  and 
Shopkeepers  in  Vera  Cruz — Public  Buildings — Preparations  for  Depar 
ture — Breaking  Mules — Ambulances — Alarms — The  Brigade  moves  for 
the  Interior. 

Camp  near  Vera  Cruz,  July. 

The  news  of, Cadwalader's  defeat  proved  to  be  entirely  false;  that 
officer  did  not  reach  the  main  body  of  the  army  without  considerable 
skirmishing,  but  so  far  as  we  can  learn,  he  has  overcome  all  obstacles. 
Such  is  the  first  information  we  got  on  our  visit  to  Yera  Cruz.  He 
ought  to  have  been  defeated,  no  doubt;  and  the  Mexicans,  by  a 
figure  of  speech  not  described  in  rhetoric,  said  he  was. 

*  This  gentleman,  Lieutenant  Whipple,  was  set  at  liberty  at  the  end  of 
the  war.  His  fortunes  during  nearly  a  year  of  captivity  were  very  varied. 


28 

The  naval  squadron  on  the  coast  is  doing  very  efficient  service, 
though  less  conspicuous  than  that  done  by  the  army.  Commodore 
Perry,  than  whom  there  is  not  a  more  gallant  or  energetic  officer  in 
either  service,  has  just  returned  in  the  steamer  Mississippi  from  the 
capture  of  Tobasco.  This  is  not  a  war  favourable  to  naval  distinc 
tion,  yet  the  navy  has  to  bear  a  heavy  portion  of  the  most  arduous 
duties.  There  is  no  more  trying  duty  than  blockading ; — spending 
weeks  or  months  standing  on  and  off  shore ;  looking  constantly  upon 
a  soil  where  you  are  not  allowed  to  plant  your  foot ;  suffering  for 
want  of  water  and  fresh  provisions,  with  all  the  dangers  of  the  sea, 
and  a  lee  shore  ever  in  prospect;  no  naval  forces  to  contend  with,  and 
not  allowed  to  strike  a  blow  landward — these  are  some  of  the  troubles 
of  blockading.  Then  a  bright  look-out  must  be  kept  to  see  that  no 
adventurer  from  beyond  seas  eludes  your  vigilance,  and  carries  "aid 
and  comfort"  to  the  enemy.  Now  our  sturdy  tars  have  to  expose 
their  lives  to  a  more  fearful  enemy  than  Mexican  soldiery ;  every 
river  has  to  be  explored,  and  every  port  taken ;  the  stars  and  stripes 
are  to  wave  over  all  the  battlements  that  guard  the  sea-shore.  All 
service  in  the  tierras  calientes,  the  scorching  lowlands,  is  fruitful  in 
disease  and  death,  and  the  river  courses  abound  in  deadly  malaria. 
The  garrisons  of  the  enemy  are  of  little  importance,  compared  with 
the  fell  power  that  deals  so  lightly  with  those  who  have  been  born 
under  its  influence,  and  so  fatally  with  the  stranger.  It  takes  stout 
hearts  to  face  such  dangers,  where  it  may  be  said  there  are  no  com 
mensurate  honours.  The  Mexicans,  indeed,  have  said  emphatically 
that  the  vomito  would  soon  end  the  war,  by  sweeping  off  both  army 
and  navy. 

My  occupations  do  not  allow  me  any  intercourse  with  the  Vera- 
cruzanos,  so  I  cannot  say  much  about  them.  I  occasionally  make 
small  purchases  from  the  shopkeepers,  who  have  one  peculiarity 
common  to  their  tribe  everywhere,  that  is,  to  make  strangers  pay 
prices  that  ought  to  cover  all  losses  from  home-dealers.  The  shops 
throughout  the  town  occupy  the  ground-floor,  while  the  upper  stories 
are  used  as  dwellings.  It  is  amusing  to  read  the  signs  and  adver 
tisements  ; — Joneses,  and  Smiths,  and  Johnsons,  and  Thompsons  are 
planted  in  and  among  Crapauds,  and  Ximenes,  and  Garcias,  Rodri- 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  29 

guez,  and  Minas.  For  languages,  Vera  Cruz  may  be  considered  at 
present  a  miniature  Babel. 

All  the  public  buildings  are  in  the  service  of  our  officials :  the 
quartermaster's  department  alone  occupies  a  large  portion  of  them. 
Time  is  now  so  precious,  and  sickness  spreading  so  rapidly,  that  the 
most  active  exertions  are  being  made  to  get  our  brigade  on  its  way ; 
but  we  have  a  large  train  to  escort  up,  of  provisions  and  ordnance 
stores,  and  as  yet  we  have  no  teams  to  haul  them.  There  are,  to 
be  sure,  a  thousand  or  fifteen  hundred  mules  in  the  camp  for  the 
purpose ;  but  it  is  as  hard  to  make  a  wild  mule  draw  as  to  make  a 
horse  drink,  the  difficulty  of  which  has  passed  into  a  proverb.  You 
may  see  at  any  time  on  the  long  white  beach  a  hundred  wagons,  with 
a  team  of  mules  and  a  double  team  of  men  to  each,  some  going  for 
wards  in  a  run,  some  in  a  trot,  some  backwards,  and  some  sideways  j 
every  way  but  the  right  way.  The  mules  go  kicking,  sprunting, 
rearing,  pitching,  running,  backing,  braying,  all  without  rhyme  or 
reason ;  and  although  it  looks  like  a  frolic  to  the  spectators,  it  is 
anything  else  to  those  concerned.  Several  of  the  men  have  been 
kicked  into  disability  for  the  campaign.  The  ambulances  and  some 
important  wagons  have  teams  of  trusty  northern  horses.  The  am 
bulances,  light  four-horse  wagons  on  springs,  invented,  as  you  know, 
by  Baron  Larrey,  for  the  benefit  of  the  wounded  of  the  grande  armee, 
are  already  kept  very  busy,  carrying  the  sick  from  the  camp  to  the 
general  hospitals  in  the  city.  I  am  exceedingly  harassed  by  my 
duties,  not  only  attending  to  the  sick,  which  keeps  me  constantly 
exposed  to  the  broiling  sun,  but  also  in  providing  stores  for  them, 
giving  or  refusing  sick  tickets,  &c.  My  fellow  voyageur  and  late 
chum  was  assigned  a  place  on  the  personal  staff  of  the  general,  and 
for  a  time  I  was  alone ;  but  again  I  have  a  companion,  whose  intel 
ligence  and  energy  is  likely  to  relieve  my  labours.  These  extend 
far  beyond  the  command  to  which  I  am  properly  attached. 

We  have  had,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  night  alarms;  indeed, 
nearly  every  night  some  raw  sentinel  imagines  an  enemy  in  a  bush, 
and  startles  us  by  his  fire.  Once  we  had  a  general  commotion — 
drums  beat,  and  all  hands  called.  Two  sentinels  gave  the  alarm  at 
once — "Who  goes  there? — Speak,  or  I  fire!"  No  answer.  The 

3* 


30  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

same  is  repeated  twice,  no  answer  given,  and  two  muskets  are  dis 
charged  at  once.  The  guards  are  formed  immediately,  and  the  entire 
camp  as  soon  as  possible.  The  sentinels  swore  to  seeing  persons 
prowling  around  in  the  bushes,  how  many  they  could  not  say.  The 
poor  fellows  indeed  were  very  much  exposed;  they  were  on  the 
picket  guard,  on  the  hilltops,  and  their  forms  projecting  against  the 
sky  were  good  marks  for  invisible  guerrilleros.  The  bushes  were 
beat,  and  no  enemy  found.  Some  days  later,  a  poor  half-starved 
white  donkey  was  seen  in  search  of  water,  badly  crippled  in  the  legs. 
Whether  he  was  a  spy  or  warrior,  this  deponent  does  not  pretend 
to  say. 

I  must  be  drawing  to  a  close  my  last  letter  from  this  place.  We 
are  under  what  is  called  afloat  "  sailing  orders,"  that  is,  we  strike 
tents  with  the  morning's  dawn,  and  take  up  the  line  of  march  for 
the  interior.  We  are  told  the  road  is  strewed  with  dead  bodies ; 
and  I  for  one  confess  to  going  off  with  no  light  heart.  Some  of  us 
— or  may  it  be  all  ? — will  return  no  more  to  this  our  place  of  ren 
dezvous.  We  leave  home,  happiness,  and  health  behind  us,  to 
penetrate  with  hostile  intent  the  land  of  the  stranger.  It  looks  like 
going  into  "  exterior  darkness/' — but  allons!  I  chose  my  own  pro 
fession  and  my  own  course;  then  " let  fate  do  her  worst,"  I  mount 
my  charger  and  pursue  my  line  of  duty. 

Here  we  are,  on  the  morning  of  the  16th,  some  twenty-five  hun 
dred  men,  new  and  old  troops,  artillery,  dragoons,  marines,  infantry, 
regulars  and  volunteers,  belonging  to,  filling  up,  and  completing 
various  regiments  now  in  the  interior.  The  men  are  all  under  arms ; 
the  advance  is  off,  dragoons  and  artillery ;  then  the  trains,  ordnance 
wagons  first,  with  their  flankers.  There  they  go,  yet  so  slowly  that 
it  will  take  hours  to  get  fairly  under  way ;  men  fall  in  the  ranks, 
overpowered  by  heat,  and  the  weight  and  constriction  of  their  belts, 
muskets,  and  knapsacks.  Those  who  are  waiting  suffer  much  more 
than  their  brethren  in  motion.  At  last,  after  many  hours,  the  rear 
guard  moves — the  marines,  accompanied  by  one  piece  of  artillery. 
Good  bye ;  I  cannot  loiter.  A  single  ambulance  and  a  few  fallen 
stragglers  are  all  that  remain  on  the  beach,  this  morning  so  popu 
lous.  I  must  send  you  this  by  the  last  chance,  see  the  sick  stowed, 
and  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  army. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  31 


LETTER  VI. 

A  Sick  Army — Insubordination  of  an  Important  Portion  of  it — A  Night  on 
the  Road — The  Bivouac — Trouble  with  Horses — Santa  Fe — Wild  Cattle — 
Lancers — Breakfast — The  Road — Weariness  of  the  Men — They  throw 
off  Incumbrances — Transporting  the  Sick — San  Juan,  or  the  Mud-Hole. 

San  Juan,  July. 

HAVING  sent  back  our  most  unpromising  cases  to  the  hospitals  at 
Vera  Cruz,  the  remaining  sick  were  supposed  to  be  able  to  shoulder 
their  muskets,  and  march  with  the  column ;  being  allowed  such  in 
dulgences  as  their  condition  required  and  the  nature  of  the  circum 
stances  would  permit.  It  proves  an  uphill  business  though,  I  assure 
you ;  in  our  little  command,  I  prescribe  for  at  least  one  hundred 
persons  daily,  of  whom  some  ninety-eight  are  cases  of  dysentery. 
Other  surgeons  have  still  more ;  and  I  hazard  nothing  in  saying,  that 
out  of  our  brigade  of  twenty-five  hundred  men,  fifteen  hundred  are 
suffering  more  or  less  from  that  disease. 

The  first  night,  en  route,  we  had  some  experience  in  a  soldier's  life; 
the  road  for  three  leagues  out  from  Vera  Cruz,  is  of  deep  sand,  and 
very  heavy  ;*the  mules,  at  first,  seemed  willing  to  do  their  part,  and 
half  broken  as  they  are,  worked  faithfully,  but  some  slight  hills  over 
came  their  good  intentions ;  first,  they  would  pause,  then  start,  then 
stop  still.  Now  came  coaxing,  swearing,  and  pounding  from  the 
drivers,  but  it  would  not  do;  when  the  leaders  would  pull,  the 
wheel  horses  wouldn't ;  when  the  wheelers  were  willing,  the  leaders 
would  turn  short  round  in  the  road.  Directly,  one  starts  to  pull 
honestly,  and  all  the  rest  hold  back;  now  the  refractory  parties  are 
coaxed  or  whipped  in,  and  the  one  that  had  just  set  such  a  good  ex 
ample  stops  stock  still,  to  kick  for  a  good  half  hour.  When  such 
a  contre-temps  happens  in  a  narrow  pass,  all  of  the  train  in  the  rear 
is  brought  to  a  dead  halt ;  the  advance  moves  on,  and  thus  the  train 
becomes  extended  for  miles  along  the  road.  There  was  but  one  way 
of  getting  the  wagons  up  the  hills,  and  that  was  to  double  the  teams, 


32  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

which  was  accordingly  done,  but  it  was  slow  work,  and  night  caught 
the  rear-guard  not  three  miles  from  their  starting-place.  We  had 
two  hours  of  moonlight,  and  thought  not  of  rest  while  we  could 
use  our  eyes ; '  we  were  yet  in  the  tierras  calientes,  the  domains  of 
the  grim  ogre,  El  Vomito,  and  it  behooved  us  to  move  onward  while 
we  could.  But  darkness  put  an  end  to  our  labours,  and  at  about 
eleven  o'clock,  we  received  orders  to  bivouac  where  we  stood.  Here 
was  a  prospect  of  comfort.  No  one  knew  where  to  find  tent,  bed, 
or  provisions.  I  started  forward  to  look  for  the  wagon  that  carried 
my  scant  equipage,  and  soon  found  myself  in  a  gully  flanked  by 
tied  and  loose  mules,  all  ready  to  use  their  heels  on  the  least  provo 
cation;  and  not  choosing  to  encounter  such  a  battery,  I  made  a 
hasty  retreat.  Returning  to  the  regiment,  I  found  the  men  stretched 
out  on  the  road;  some  talking,  some  munching  bread  and  bacon 
from  their  haversacks  (neither  officers  nor  men  had  had  either  din 
ner  or  supper),  and  some  already  in  the  arms  of  the  god  of  the  wearied 
and  sleepy,  sending  up  to  him  such  hymns  of  praise  and  thanks,  as 
only  true  votaries,  the  heaviest  sleepers,  can  send. 

Such  of  us  as  were  mounted,  had  our  peculiar  troubles.  What 
was  to  be  done  with  the  horses  ?  The  men  were  fagged  out,  for 
though  they  had  made  but  a  short  march,  they  had  put  their  shoulders 
to  the  wheel,  literally,  having  spent  hours  in  helping  the  train  along. 
We,  of  course,  could  not  call  on  them  for  assistance.  Our  own  atten 
dants  were  with  our  respective  wagons,  and  probably  ensconced 
therein,  invisible  and  intangible.  We  groped  about  in  the  dark,  and 
tied  our  horses  to  the  bushes.  Bah  !  these  tropical  twigs  are  so  suc 
culent  as  to  be  mere  water-tubes — they  broke  like  pipe-stems.  But 
we  could  not  stand  up  all  night,  so  we  blundered  about  through  the 
undergrowth  in  search  of  something  to  make  fast  to,  when  we  came 
to  a  palisade  around  a  deserted  hut,  and  there  we  tied  our  four- 
footed  companeros.  We  took  off  the  saddles,  and  calling  the  atten 
tion  of  a  sentinel  (for  both  picket  and  camp-guards  were  posted)  to 
their  position,  with  the  saddles  as  pillows,  we  threw  ourselves  down 
on  the  damp  ground  under  cover  of  the  broad  canopy  of  heaven.  It 
was  an  uneasy  rest  we  had,  begirt  as  we  were  with  belts  and  bands, 
for  all  carried  haversacks  and  canteens,  besides  their  arms;  then  the 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  33 

horses  took  to  fretting,  some  broke  loose  and  came  trotting  in  and 
among  us,  to  the  great  danger  of  heads,  legs,  and  arms,  there  ex 
posed.  They  were  caught  and  secured,  in  the  darkness,  with  no 
little  difficulty.  The  worst  part  of  the  story  won't  bear  telling;  the 
army  was  infected  with  an  infirmity  that  made  beds,  taken  in  the 
dark,  apt  to  be  as  uncomfortable  as  they  were  unsavoury. 

Morning  dawned  at  length;  bugles  sounded,  drums  beat,  and  the 
first  rays  of  light  found  the  column  under  arms,  and  the  advance  in 
motion.  By  the  time  the  sun  became  oppressive,  the  marines,  form 
ing  the  rear-guard,  had  reached  Santa  Fe, — a  deserted  hamlet  three 
leagues  from  Vera  Cruz.  Here  the  General  called  a  halt,  to  let  the 
men  rest  in  the  shade  during  the  heat  of  the  day.  Some  wild  cattle, 
belonging  to  Santa  Anna — for  the  soil  and  all  thereon  for  thirty  miles 
on  either  side  of  the  road  are  his — had  been  shot  by  the  marksmen, 
and  we  were  regaled  on  fresh  beef,  cooked  while  the  flesh  was  still 
quivering  with  the  last  vibrations  of  life.  A  party  of  some  hun 
dreds  of  lancers  was  seen  reconnoitering,  and  not  knowing  but  that 
it  was  an  advance  from  a  larger  force,  the  troops  were  drawn  up  and 
the  dragoons  ordered  out  to  meet  them.  They  did  not  seem  to  desire 
any  close  acquaintance,  however,  but  fled  as  fast  as  their  horses 
could  carry  them.  Pursuit  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  as  the  Gene 
ral's  first  object  was  to  reach  the  main  body  of  the  army,  by  last  ac 
counts  at  Puebla. 

Our  beef-steak  and  coffee  breakfasts,  and  some  hours  of  rest  in 
huts  and  under  guava  trees,  had  sufficiently  recruited  the  command 
for  another  start,  and  we  came  on  in  comparatively  good  style  to 
this  place,  about  seven  leagues  from  Yera  Cruz.  The  road  was  high 
and  level  from  Santa  Fe,  with  the  firmness  of  paving,  though  un- 
paved.  We  crossed  some  ravines,  or  water-courses,  now  dry,  on 
good  bridges,  and  swamps  on  excellent  calzadas,  or  causeways. 
The  sun  was  very  powerful,  and  the  men,  all  debilitated  by  the  few 
weeks  spent  in  this  enervating  climate,  suffered  severely — they 
threw  off  their  incumbrances,  first  watch-coats,  then  extra  garments, 
then  knapsacks,  blankets,  many  of  them — in  short,  threw  away 
everything  but  arms  and  accoutrements.  The  road  was  strewed 
with  enough  for  the  outfit  of  a  regiment.  I  felt  for  the  poor  fellows, 


34  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

and  in  common  with  other  officers,  frequently  had  their  knapsacks 
and  other  valuables,  laid  in  the  troughs  behind  the  wagons.  It  was 
noticeable  that  the  waste  was  on  the  part  generally  of  Americans 
and  Irish  —  rarely  or  never  did  a  German  throw  off  his  pack. 
Whether  they  were  less  exhausted  by  the  climate,  or  only  more  pro 
vident  than  the  others,  is  more  than  I  can  say.  The  sick  had  a 
trying  time  of  it ;  the  burdens  of  nearly  all  of  them  were  stowed  in 
the  wagons,  but  they  fell  by  dozens,  or  hundreds,  I  should  say,  by 
the  roadside.  We  put  as  many  of  them  in  the  ambulances  as  they 
would  hold,  and  when  possible,  we  would  put  a  man  on  top  of  the 
stores  in  the  overladen  wagons,  but  they  fell  too  fast  for  us,  and  all 
we  could  do  at  last,  was  to  recommend  to  them  to  hold  on  to  the 
tails  of  the  wagons. 

Late  at  night  the  rear,  still  the  gallant  marines,  reached  this 
camp-ground,  which  the  men,  with  sufficient  reason,  call  "  The  Mud- 
hole."  You  have  traversed  "  The  Shades  of  Death"  on  the  National 
Road,  but  they  are  cheerful  compared  to  £an  Juan.  The  site  is 
low  and  swampy,  the  undergrowth  almost  impenetrable,  and  in  the 
midst  of  woods  we  can  scarcely  find  two  dry  sticks  to  make  a  fire. 
The  whole  camp  is  knee-deep  in  mud,  inside  of  the  tents  as  well  as 
out.  The  men  sleep  in  mud  and  water. 

For  myself,  I  have  two  boxes  in  my  tent,  and  a  stretcher  between 
them  for  a  bed.  The  stretcher  is  a  piece  of  canvass,  six  feet  long, 
with  longer  poles  at  the  sides — that  is,  it  is  a  sort  of  hand-litter  for 
carrying  the  wounded  off  the  field.  Don't  be  envious,  although  I 
sleep  high  and  dry,  I  cannot  turn  out  except  in  the  mud.  Is  the 
(t  mud-hole"  a  misnomer  ? 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  35 


LETTER   VII. 

Rain  and  Mud — Ticks  and  Mosquitoes — Life  in  the  Woods  most  pleasant 
when  Viewed  from  a  Distance — Cause  of  Detention — Lomo — Skirmishing 
— Men  Wounded  —  Invisible  Enemies — Tolom^ — Lights  and  Shadows — 
National  Bridge — A  Bit  of  an  Action — Natural  Advantages  for  Defence — 
Scenery,  like  Harper's  Ferry — The  River  Antigua — Bathing — A  Lurking 
Enemy — Arrival  at  Plan  del  Rio. 

In  Camp,  Plan  del  Rio,  July. 

IT  was  no  easy  matter  to  get  away  from  San  Juan,  water-logged 
as  we  were,  but  it  was  ruinous  to  stay ;  so  by  a  vigorous  effort,  we 
succeeded  in  getting  the  trains  under  way  after  a  sojourn  there  of  a 
day  and  two  nights.  It  rained  heavily  a  great  portion  of  the  time, 
and  we  were  beset  by  insects,  as  mosquitoes  and  ticks, — a  little  var 
mint  so  small  that  it  fixes  on  you  without  attracting  your  notice, 
until,  full  of  blood,  with  its  head  buried  in  your  flesh,  you  see  it  on 
some  portion  of  your  person,  as  large  and  as  round  and  as  red  as  a 
cherry. 

This  is  the  vaunted  "life  in  the  woods ;"  about  equal  in  charms 
to  that  "  on  the  ocean  wave/'  Having  tried  both,  I  fancy  the 
poet-authors  like  the  French  philosopher,  who  could  only  write 
about  "  verdant  meadows  and  babbling  brooks"  when  in  his  garret 
in  Paris,  looking  over  a  thousand  tiled  roofs  and  smoke-pipes; 
whereas,  when  he  would  paint  the  charms  of  city  life,  it  had  to  be 
done  at  some  rural  retreat  far  from  the  haunts  of  man.  Is  there  no 
enchantment  but  that  that  distance  lends  ? 

You  may  ask,  what  detained  us  at  such  a  spot  ?  The  answer  is 
easily  given.  The  men  and  the  teams  reached  there  incredibly 
jaded;  unaccustomed  to  such  work  as  they  were,  and  with  so  much 
sickness,  the  entire  brigade  was  fairly  stalled.  The  mud  was  deep 
and  slippery;  the  tents,  &c.,  acquired  a  double  weight  from  the 
rain ;  without  the  day's  rest  the  teams  bid  fair  to  break  down  alto 
gether. 

The  day's  march  from  San  Juan  brought  us  to  Lomo,  where  we 


36 

encamped  on  the  brow  and  sides  of  a  high  hill,  surrounding  the  re 
mains  of  a  once  famous  venta  and  bakery.  Over  against  us,  on  a 
neighbouring  hill-side,  stood  the  ruins  of  an  old  church,  that  had 
also  been  used  in  its  day  as  garrison  and  fortress.  We  had  on  the 
march  a  taste  of  guerrilla  fight ;  divers  escopets  had  been  fired  on 
the  columns  indiscriminately,  from  the  hands  of  invisible  enemies, 
concealed  in  the  dense  chaparral.  Several  of  our  men  were 
wounded,  one  poor  fellow,  a  dragoon,  so  badly  as  to  require  ampu 
tation  at  the  shoulder  joint.  He  and  the  others  are  all  doing  well, 
however.  Some  shots  were  returned  on  the  part  of  our  troops,  but 
with  what  effect  is  not  known. 

Another  day  brought  us  to  Tolome ;  our  friends,  the  guerrilleros, 
still  sending  us  some  of  their  tokens,  when,  like  the  kid  on  the 
precipice,  they  could  be  brave  with  impunity.  Towards  night  a 
party  of  them,  mounted,  was  seen  dogging  the  rear — there  were  no 
dragoons  at  hand  to  pursue  them,  but  a  well-directed  round  or  two 
from  a  piece  of  light  artillery,  soon  relieved  us  of  their  company. 
Tolome  has  somewhat  the  air  of  a  town ;  it  has,  to  be  sure,  its  com 
plement  of  reed  huts,  but  then  it  has  its  square  or  plaza,  upon 
which  are  several  respectable  tenements.  They  are  long,  low,  one- 
story  houses,  plastered  and  white,  with  tile  roofs  and  ample  piazzas. 
In  the  plaza  the  artillery  was  parked,  and  the  houses  were  occupied 
by  the  officers.  It  was  a  beautiful  moonlight  night ;  we  had  for 
the  first  time,  music  by  a  band ;  the  smiths  were  busy  at  their  fires 
repairing  tires  and  traces,  and  I  cannot  tell  you  how  cheerful  the 
ringing  of  their  hammers  sounded ;  the  men  had  begun  to  improve 
in  health  and  spirits,  and  from  the  long  lines  of  their  transparent 
dwellings  were  heard  lively  songs  and  peals  of  laughter ; — the  whole 
was  so  like  a  gay  panorama,  that  one  might  have  fancied  himself 
in  a  Coliseum,  admiring  the  handiwork  of  a  skilful  artist,  who  by 
the  illusion  of  music  and  transparencies  gave  to  his  work  the  reality 
of  life. 

We  found  ourselves  getting  into  the  region  of  hills,  a  pleasant 
change  from  the  lowlands  nearer  the  sea-shore,  and  after  a  hard 
day's  march  from  Tolome,  we  came  to  repose  for  the  night  at  the 
Puente  National,  or  National  Bridge,  once  known  as  the  King's 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  37 

(del  Rey).  Our  advance  met  with  a  warm  reception  from  some 
guerrilleros  who  had  planted  themselves  under  shelter,  on  almost  in 
accessible  hill-tops.  We  expected  an  engagement  here,  and  great 
was  the  excitement  among  those  in  the  rear  when  by  the  peals  of 
the  artillery  and  volleys  of  small  arms  we  learned  it  had  com 
menced.  Every  man  wanted  to  rush  forward,  but  this  was  not 
admissible ;  the  immense  train  (of  between  two  and  three  hundred 
wagons)  had  to  be  protected,  and  those  in  charge  could  not  desert  it. 
The  skirmish  waxed  quite  warm  for  a  while,  but  shortly  the  fires 
began  to  slacken  and  then  cheers,  long  and  loud,  resounded  along 
the  line.  When  we  got  in,  we  found  our  people  in  possession  of  the 
heights ;  a  number  had  been  wounded,  none  killed,  and  the  General 
himself  had  escaped  with  a  ball  through  his  hat.  It  would  be  diffi 
cult  to  find  a  place  better  suited  for  defence  than  the  National 
Bridge.  It  is  approached  by  a  long,  narrow,  winding  road,  through 
defiles  readily  overlooked  and  commanded ;  and  the  bridge  itself  is 
in  a  deep  wild  ravine,  which  can  only  be  left  by  roads  ascending 
obliquely,  and  enclosed  on  all  sides  by  rough,  precipitous  hills. 
The  scenery  is  majestic — reminding  me  forcibly  of  Harper's  Ferry, 
though  more  primitive.  I  called  the  attention  of  my  veteran 

friend,  Major  G ,  of  the  artillery,  to  this  resemblance,  he  being 

like  myself  familiar  with  the  picturesque  grandeur  of  the  latter 
place,  and  he  fully  coincided  with  me  in  opinion. 

The  bridge  is  a  noble  structure,  a  monument  of  the  old  Spanish 
regime.  The  village  boasts  of  its  ample  hotel,  and  near  at  hand  is 
a  palace-looking  building,  which  is  one  of  the  many  country-seats  of 
the  autocrat,  Santa  Anna.  In  the  street  were  found  the  remains  of 
an  American  soldier,  killed  there  during  a  late  action  (for  every 
passing  train  has  had  to  fight  its  way  at  this  point),  and  most  proba 
bly  under  General  Cadwalader,  who  fought  his  way  through  at  night 
The  soldier  hatf  not  been  stripped,  and  his  fleshless  bones  were, 
sticking  through  his  pantaloons,  held  together  only  by  wasted 
sinews  and  dried  ligaments.  Our  troops  did  not  leave  without 
laying  him  in  his  last  resting-place,  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
Antigua. 

Officers  and  men  took  advantage  of  this  fine  stream,  which  looks 

4 


38  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

like  our  own  Shenandoah,  to  wash  off  some  of  the  soil  accumulated 
on  our  persons  during  the  march ;  and  thus  refreshed,  we  resumed 
our  onward  course. 

The  day's  march  brought  us  to  Plan  del  Rio,  sixteen  miles  from 
the  bridge.  The  rear  got  a  parting  shot  from  unseen  enemies  as 
they  started;  the  advance  had  the  same  reception  on  their  arrival 
at  the  camp-ground.  On  the  way,  we  heard  that  sixteen  hundred 
men  were  hovering  around,  to  take  us  at  a  disadvantage  and  do 
what  damage  they  could.  I  do  not  know  whether  it  was  a  false 
alarm,  or  whether  they  considered  their  opportunity  wanting.  Our 
numbers,  and  yet  more,  our  artillery,  kept  them  at  a  respectful 
distance.  It  is  thought  by  persons  whose  opportunities  enabled 
them  to  judge,  that  no  open  or  general  attack  will  be.made  on  this 
column,  though  we  may  and  do  hear,  daily,  some  few  exchanges  of 
shots.  They  have  in  such  cases  the  trifling  advantage  of  being 
hidden  and  sheltered ;  while  we,  bound  to  keep  to  the  open  road, 
afford  them  a  fair  mark  to  try  their  skill  on. 


LETTER   VIII. 

Difficulty  of  Maintaining  a  Correspondence — Rancheros — Topography  of 
Plan  del  Rio,  Streams  and  Bridges — The  Escopet — A  Barricade — Bridge 
Destroyed — A  Hard  Bed — Cutting  a  Road — Approach  Cerro  Gordo — Re 
flections,  uncalled  for — Ascent  of  the  Mountain — Advantages  for  Defence 
— Dismantled  Guns — Change  of  Scene. 

In  Camp  (near  Jalapa),  July. 

You  see,  I  continue  my  letters  faithfully,  though  without  know 
ing  how  or  when  they  can  be  forwarded.  We  have  no  communica 
tion  in  either  direction.  Not  a  wayfarer  is  to  be  seen  on  the  road ; 
nor  have  we  seen  hut  or  house  tenanted.  All  progress  is  in  one 
direction — all  the  tracks  go  into  the  lion's  den;  none  can  be  traced 
returning.  J3ut  even  Reynard's  cunning  would  fail  here,  for  there 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  39 

are  huntsmen  on  the  track  behind  us,  ready  at  once  to  pick  up  spoils 
or  cut  off  stragglers.  If  any  of  our  men  were  to  find  themselves, 
like  friend  Talbot  in  Japhet,  with  a  stout  heart  mounted  on  treach 
erous  legs,  that  would  carry  them  back  in  spite  of  themselves,  they 
would  fall  certain  victims  to  the  rancheros*  on  our  trail. 

Plan  del  Rio  is  a  plain  traversed  by  two  streams  within  half  a 
mile  of  each  other;  the  first  of  which  is  a  mere  brook,  and  the 
second,  a  small  river,  with  a  depth  of  some  two  or  three  feet  in  dry 
weather;  during  the  season  of  rains,  however,  it  becomes  a  roaring 
torrent — fills  to  overflowing  its  deep  canal-like  bed,  the  sides  of 
which  have  a  perpendicular  depth  of  upwards  of  twenty  feet.  Both 
of  these  streams  have  (had)  massive  stone  bridges  of  a  structure, 
sere  perennius,  intended  to  rival  the  days  of  the  great  destroyer, 
TIME.  As  our  advance  reached  the  first,  descending  a  long  hill  by 
a  very  rough  road  cut  down  the  hillside,  and  overlooked  by  preci 
pices  inaccessible  except  by  a  long  circuit  through  dense  under 
growth,  they  found  it  heavily  barricaded.  Shots  were  exchanged  with 
the  guerrilla-men,  and  the  train  stopped  until  the  barricades  could 
be  removed.  One  or  two  companies  were  despatched  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy,  who  was  "non  est  inventus."  The  object,  on  their  part, 
was  not  to  meet  our  troops,  but  to  harass  and  annoy  them — to  kill, 
maim,  or  cripple  as  much  as  possible,  with  little  or  no  exposure 
on  the  part  of  the  assailants.  Their  principal  arm,  the  escopeta 
or  carbine,  has  a  very  long  range,  and  sends  a  ball  nearly  the  size 
of  a  grapeshot;  it  has  not  the  accuracy  of  a  rifle,  to  be  sure,  but 
that  is  not  important  where  a  host  of  men  is  known  to  occupy  a 
certain  extent  of  road,  and  the  enemy  can  plant  himself  behind  a 
bluff  or  tree,  half  a  mile  or  a  mile  off,  and  his  position  entirely  con 
cealed  by  the  chaparral.  Clearing  away  the  barricade,  occupied  no 
great  deal  of  time,  but  a  more  serious  cause  of  detention  was  soon 
discovered.  Among  the  thousand  rumours  we  had  heard  at  Yera 
Cruz,  was  one  that  the  Mexicans  had  destroyed  all  the  bridges. 
And  now,  indeed,  we  found  the  remains  of  a  noble  structure ;  its 

*  Country  people,  inhabitants  of  the  ranchos.  They  follow  the  various 
occupations  of  herdsmen,  farmers,  and  highwaymen,  indiscriminately. 


40  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

buttresses  and  pillars  standing  firm  on  the  banks  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  stream,  but  the  arches  gone,  and  the  signs  of  destruction  evi 
dently  recent.  The  river  bank  was  as  steep  and  as  clean  cut  to  a 
perpendicular  depth  of  twenty  feet,  as  if  it  had  been  the  work  of 
pick  and  spade,  though  the  hand  of  man  had  not  been  there.  What 
was  to  be  done — were  we  to  build  a  new  bridge  ?  Impracticable. 
Were  we  to  offer  libations  to  Jupiter  and  Mars,  and  wait  for  them 
to  help  us  out  of  the  scrape  and  over  the  river,  or  should  we  sensibly 
take  the  back  track,  satisfied  with  the  distinguished  services  we  had 
already  rendered  ?  I  don't  know  that  the  General  thought  of  either 
of  these  expedients,  unless  it  was  to  offer  up  the  libations,  which  I 
am  sure  all  of  our  pious  and  gallant  fellows  did,  who  had  it  in  their 
power.  This  done,  it  was  represented  that  with  our  force,  a  road 
might  be  shortly  cut  down  obliquely  to  the  water's  edge,  and  that 
the  river  could  be  forded.  By  this  time  night  had  come  upon  us, 
and  after  despatching  a  homely  meal,  a  dinner-supper  of  bread,  beef, 
and  coffee,  we  went  in  pursuit  of  the  "  sweet  restorer."  The  wagons 
were  not  parked  as  usual,  but  kept  of  necessity  their  positions  along 
the  road;  and  many  of  us  having  no  tents  in  convenient  distance, 
had  to  look  for  shelter,  or  sleep  without  it.  In  common  with  a 
number  of  officers,  I  took  refuge  under  one  of  the  arches  of  the  first 
bridge,  and  thus  saved  a  ducking,  as  it  came  on  to  rain  terribly 
during  the  night.  I  may  remark  though,  en  passant,  that  the 
shelter  did  us  no  good ;  for  lying  on  the  cold  stones,  and  exposed  to 
the  draught  through  the  arches,  many  of  us  took  severe  colds,  which 
was  not  the  case  when  we  slept  in  tents  or  in  the  open  air.  The 
morning's  sun  found  the  men  diligently  engaged  with  pick  and 
shovel  on  the  new  road.  They  were  superintended  by  the  engineers 

and  some  officers,  Captain  B ,  particularly,  from  "  down  east," 

who  certainly  had  a  natural  turn  for  everything.  The  work  went 
on  rapidly,  and  by  nightfall  the  whole  train  was  on  the  other  side, 
and  hard  by  the  base  of  Cerro  Gordo.  Now  this  road  was  cut  by 
los  Yanquees  with  less  labour  than  it  had  cost  the  Mexicans  to  de 
stroy  their  noble  bridge.  The  destruction,  too,  was  accompanied  by 
loss  of  life,  some  of  the  workmen  having  been  caught  in  the  fall,  it 
was  said;  some  human  remains  having  been  found  in  the  ruins. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  41 

The  Mexicans  had  argued  that,  as  the  Americans  were  coming  up 
during  the  rainy  season,  they  would  find  the  river  impassable ;  but 
it  so  happened  that  the  rains  set  in  very  late,  and  the  river  had  not 
yet  felt  their  influence.  It  is  not  likely  though,  that  even  a  Mexi 
can  flood  would  have  stopped  the  march  of  "progressive"  Jonathan. 
It  is  true,  we  would  have  been  detained  longer,  and  thus  have  given 
more  time  for  the  collection  of  a  force  at  the  pass  of  Cerro  G-ordo,  if 
such  were  the  plan.  The  General  ordered  a  company  of  dragoons 
forward  in  the  night  for  reconnoissance,  or  to  take  possession  of  the 
heights;  they  were  misled,  however,  in  the  darkness,  and  did  not 
reach  the  important  position.  The  column  started  at  daylight,  and 
as  we  were  creeping  up  the  mountain,  there  was  more  than  ordinary 
silence,  every  man  seeming  to  be  buried  in  his  own  reflections.  My 
own  were  somewhat  as  follows ;  what  others  were  thinking  of,  I  cannot 
say : — "  Well,  Mister ,  here's  a  battle  before  you — and,  com 
batant  or  non-combatant,  you  may  be  sent  to  settle  your  last  ac 
counts.  Don't  you  think  you  were  very  sapient  to  leave  your  happy, 
quiet  home,  in  the  valley  of  Virginia,  to  come  wandering  over  these 
rivers,  plains,  and  mountains,  where  you  have  no  business;  to  be 
killed  by  the  hands  of  an  enemy  with  whom  you  have  had  no  quar 
rel,  or  to  die  of  the  pestilential  diseases  of  his  climate?  Suppose 
you  are  killed,  will  your  country  mourn  your  loss  ?  Pshaw !  nobody 
but  the  little  home-circle  will  remember  that  you  ever  lived  six 
months  hence.  Suppose,  after  hair-breadth  'scapes  you  survive, 
what  honours  are  in  store  for  you?  A  Major-General's  commission? 
No.  A  Colonel's?  No.  Even  a  Major's?  No — no.  No  brevets, 
no  honours.  If  you  carry  home  a  broken  limb,  or  a  broken  consti 
tution,  maybe  your  pension  will  keep  you  and  yours  from  starving — 
Oh  L — d !"  (Aloud.)  "  Steward,  are  your  bandages  and  dressings 
in  order,  and  where  you  can  get  at  them  ?"  "  All  ready,  sir." 
"That's  right."  Then  the  current  of  thought  stakes  a  wholesome 
change  towards  the  duties  likely  to  be  required.  But  my  reflections 
were  uncalled  for.  If  batteries  had  been  planted  at  many  available 
points,  our  slowly  ascending  column,  with  its  heavy  train,  might 
have  been  raked  from  stem  to  stern,  and  the  troops  mowed  down  by 
regiments.  We  fully  expected  a  severe  conflict,  and  after  all,  "out 

4* 


42  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

crept  a  mouse ;"  a  few  escopejas  were  discharged  on  the  advance,  a 
volley  of  musketry  returned,  and  light  troops  sent  in  pursuit,  but 
unsuccessfully.  The  road  for  miles  approaching  Cerro  Gordo,  would 
be  impassable  if  defended  by  staunch  troops ;  but  since  the  two  chiefs 
tried  their  strength  there,  and  the  American  triumphed,  the  point 
has  been  abandoned.  To  have  an  idea  of  the  advantages  of  the  de 
fenders,  you  must  know  that  the  mountain  is  marked  by  a  deep 
ravine,  that  rends  it  from  summit  to  base,  enlarging  and  deepening 
as  it  descends.  This  offered  a  sort  of  natural  road  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  but  a  stream  of  water  occupies  its  bed  generally,  and 
grows  to  a  torrent  during  the  rains.  The  road  was,  therefore,  very 
judiciously  cut  along  the  side  of  the  ravine,  making  a  long  continu 
ous  ascent,  nowhere  very  steep.  The  lightest  troops  would  find 
great  difficulty  in  advancing  at  all,  through  bushes  and  over  rocks, 
if  they  attempted  ascending  out  of  the  road.  The  artillery,  wagons, 
&c.,  are  limited  to  the  road  absolutely ;  there  is  no  other  possible 
passage  for  them.  The  ascent  is  on  the  right  side  of  the  ravine;  on 
the  left,  an  escopet  might  be  concealed  behind  every  tree,  looking 
down  upon  the  road,  and  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  distant.  The 
trees  would  protect  the  enemy  from  our  small  arms,  and  the  artillery 
could  not  be  brought  to  bear  on  him  to  any  advantage.  But  the  great 
stronghold  is  at  the  summit,  where  batteries  could  be  (and  were,  to 
receive  Scott's  army)  placed  most  advantageously.  The  greater 
portion  of  the  road  is  completely  commanded  from  that  point.  The 
disadvantages  of  the  invaders  are  obvious.  I  have  not  seen  any  de 
tailed  account  of  Scott's  victory,  but  it  certainly  required  a  master 
mind  to  overcome  such  odds.  Santa  Anna's  positions  were  well 
chosen,  as  is  shown  by  the  remaining  breastworks  and  trenches, 
which  extend  from  the  road,  across  the  head  of  the  ravine,  to  the 
heights  opposite.  There  are  many  heavy  pieces  of  ordnance  dis 
mantled  and  useless,  lying  on  the  roadside,  and  hundreds  of  balls, 
grape  and  canister,  shot  and  shells  of  all  sizes.  Leaving  Cerro 
Gordo,  our  eyes  were  gladdened  with  the  sight  of  tenanted  houses 
and  cultivated  fields, — a  happy  change  to  him  who  emerges  suddenly 
from  the  desert  and  the  wilderness. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  43 


LETTER  IX. 

A  Cup  of  Cold  Water — Signs  of  Civilization — Losses  on  the  way — Wreck  of  a 
Camp — Hacienda — An  Officer  Wounded — A  Trap  and  a  Chase — Jalapa — 
Admiring  Spectators. 

Camp  near  Jalapa,  July. 

THE  sight  of  the  first  rancho  or  hut  occupied  by  human  beings 
was  decidedly  cheering ;  though  the  inhabitants  were  but  a  poor  old 
mestizo  (half-breed)  and  his  wife.  They  appeared  to  be  quite  des 
titute,  but  offered  in  a  spirit  of  Christian  charity,  all  they  had  to 
give,  a  cup  of  cold  water.  It  was  nectar  to  many  a  parched  and 
dusty  throat,  for  the  men  always  empty  their  canteens  (three  pints) 
very  early  in  the  day,  and  then,  unless  a  stream  or  pond  is  found, 
pant  for  hours  in  the  dust  and  sun  without  water. 

Cleared  fields  began  to  take  the  place  of  the  wild  chaparral*  with 
its  undergrowth  of  thorns  and  cactus ;  enclosed  grounds,  domestic 
cattle,  and  fruit  trees,  betokened  advanced  civilization.  We  en 
camped  at  night  on  the  banks  of  a  fine  stream  three  leagues  from 
Jalapa.  The  camp  was  much  diminished  in  size,  for  on  the  march 
the  teams  failed  so  fast,  that  tents  and  tent-poles,  bag  and  baggage, 
had  been  thrown  out  and  left  on  the  roadside,  that  the  train  might 
not  be  delayed.  All  the  wagons  had  started  with  teams  of  six 
mules }  now  few  had  more  than  four,  and  some  but  three  ;  the  rest 
had  died,  or  were  turned  out  to  die,  on  the  road.  I  reached  the 
camp-ground  among  the  first,  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
and  after  waiting  long  and  weary  hours  for  my  wagon,  it  came  at 
last  after  dark,  and  you  may  judge  of  my  vexation  when  it  was 
announced  to  me  that  both  tent  and  mess  chest,  supper  and  lodg 
ings,  had  gone  by  the  board.  I  went  to  look  up  my  friends,  and 

*  Chaparral  means  properly  a  dense  growth  of  stunted  evergreen  oaks, 
but  it  appears  to  be  applied  in  Mexico  to  any  low  dense  growth  of  any 
kind  of  trees  or  bushes. 


44  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

found  the  most  of  them  but  half  a  degree  better  off  than  myself. 
So  many  tents  were  missing,  that  all  that  were  found  had  double  or 
triple  their  complement ;  many  of  them  had  no  poles,  and  were 
hoisted  on  such  sticks  as  could  be  found,  making  all  sorts  of  figures, 
and  as  the  once  bleached  canvass  had  taken  all  the  hues  that  mud 
and  dust,  rain  and  smoke  can  give,  the  camp  might  have  been  sup 
posed  to  belong  to  an  army  of  gipsies.  My  chum,  wider  awake  than 
myself,  hired  a  Mexican  camp-follower  to  take  his  donkeys  and  go 
back  to  the  spot  where  the  wagon  had  stalled,  to  bring  forward 
whatever  he  could  find ;  and  towards  midnight  he  returned  with  the 
tent,  and  other  articles  of  less  importance.  Meantime  the  usual 
shower  had  fallen,  and  when  we  pitched  upon  the  wet  grass  there 
was  nothing  between  us  and  it  but  an  oiled  sheet  we  carried  with 
us,  and  it  was  indeed  a  treasure.  On  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
river  is  an  extensive  hacienda  (an  estate  properly,  but  the  word  is 
commonly  used  to  indicate  the  manor-house),  and  we  are  told  the 
residents  are  not  unfriendly.  Since  we  came  into  a  region  where 
there  is  an  appearance  of  private  property,  the  General  has  forbidden 
the  shooting  of  cattle,  &c.  Some  officers,  who  had  perhaps  not  yet 
received  the  order,  went  out  in"  the  afternoon  to  kill  a  beef;  they 
ventured  too  far,  were  fired  on  themselves,  and  one  of  them  severely 
wounded.  The  Mexicans  escaped. — Upon  our  departure,  the  follow 
ing  morning,  the  General  set  a  trap  for  the  lurking  warriors  who  kept 
so  faithfully  on  our  trail.  A  company  of  dragoons  was  concealed, 
with  orders  to  wait,  after  the  brigade  had  gone,  long  enough  for 
these  fellows  to  come  up.  Sure  enough,  when  the  rear-guard  was 
just  far  enough  off  to  descry  the  dust  of  a  party  of  horse,  it  was 
seen ;  then  there  was  a  chase,  a  sort  of  steeple-chase,  where  none 
had  ever  been  before ;  but  it  would  not  do — they  knew  their  ground 
and  their  fastnesses,  and  having  detected  from  a  distance  that  some 
little  arrangements  had  been  made  for  their  benefit,  they  took  to 
their  heels  in  time  to  make  a  safe  retreat. 

We  marched  through  the  outskirts  of  Jalapa,  a  picturesque,  old- 
fashioned  Spanish  town,  embowered  in  the  midst  of  scenery  of  sur 
passing  magnificence.  There  is  a  beauty  in  the  rugged  mountains 
of  the  background  that  one  can  appreciate  to  the  full  when  he  has 


.  J 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  45 

but  recently  left  the  wearisome  flats  of  the  tierras  calientes.  Nature 
is  clothed  in  a  new  aspect ;  the  very  air,  lately  so  dense  and  suffo 
cating,  is  now  pure,  sharp,  and  bracing,  and  reminds  you  that  you 
are  coming  into  the  tierras  templadas,  the  favourite  region  of  per 
petual  spring.  Hundreds  of  people  stood  upon  the  wayside  as  we 
passed  the  town,  to  have  a  near  view  of  los  Yanquees,  the  barbarians 
from  the  North,  and  as  it  was  on  Sunday,  the  Jalapenos  were 
decked  in  their  best  apparel,  making  themselves  an  array  much 
more  showy  than  that  of  the  army.  Fruits  and  flowers  appear  to 
be  highly  cultivated  about  the  town ;  and  many  trees,  embraced, 
stern  and  branches,  by  flowering  creepers,  were  beautiful  in  the  ex 
treme. 

I  thought  that  garrisoning  Jalapa  would  have  been  much  better 
than  going  farther  "to  fare  worse  $"  but  we  are  predestined  to  move 
onward ;  the  Commander-in-chief  is  no  doubt  anxiously  awaiting  his 
reinforcements,  and  we  marched  on  to  encamp  some  three  miles 
nearer  to  his  head-quarters. 


LETTER   X. 

A  Resting  Spell  —  Intercourse  with  the  Paisanos  —  A  Market  —  Prices  — 
Virtues  of  Spermaceti — Getting  Supplies  from  the  Town — Contrast  be 
tween  the  Dealings  of  the  American  and  Mexican  Troops  with  the  Citi 
zens —  Fruits  of  Intemperance  —  A  Soldier  Killed  —  Horses  Stolen — La 
Hoya — The  Pass — How  defended — Cadwalader's  Encounter — Camp  in  a 
Basinful  of  Water — Climate  Changes  with  Elevation — A  Hard  March  to 
Perote. 

Camp  near  Perote,  July. 

WE  all  enjoyed  a  rest  of  a  couple  of  days  near  Jalapa  exceed 
ingly.  On  the  march,  notwithstanding  the  exposure,  sickness  had 
abated  considerably,  and  a  little  repose,  in  connexion  with  pure  air 
and  improved  diet,  recruited  the  men  greatly  in  health  and  spirits. 


46  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

The  country  people  visited  the  camp  in  great  numbers,  bringing 
with  them  for  sale  the  various  fruits  and  vegetables  that  the 
climate  produces ;  that  is  to  say,  the  products  of  both  the  torrid 
and  temperate  zones.  Apples,  pears,  peaches,  bananas,  plantains, 
zapote,  a  species  of  papaw,  the  aguacate,  or  alligator  pear,  cactus 
berries,  and  many  other  fruits,  are  all  offered  by  one  person,  and 
collected  in  one  vicinity.  We  had  to  pay  pretty  well  for  our 
luxuries,  however ;  we  bought  milk,  for  instance,  at  a  medio  the 
half  pint,  that  is,  one  dollar  a  gallon ;  eggs,  from  a  cuartillo  (three 
cents)  to  a  medio  (six  and  a  quarter)  each,  and  other  things  in 
proportion.  Fortunately  for  those  who  had  money,  there  was  but 
a  short  allowance  of  it  in  camp,  otherwise  the  prices  would  have 
advanced  greatly.  One  fellow,  who  came  to  my  tent  with  supplies, 
saw  there  the  remnant  of  a  sperm  candle ;  he  appeared  to  have  a 
great  desire  for  it,  and  I  gave  it  to  him ;  he  then  displayed  a  great 
eagerness  to  commence  a  barter  for  more,  and  upon  inquiry,  I  found 
that  spermaceti  has  the  reputation  in  this  region  of  being  a  sove 
reign  remedy  for  various  pulmonary  diseases.  The  Mexican  gave 
his  information  with  some  reluctance,  only  coming  out  openly  when 
he  found  he  was  talking  to  a  medico,  from  whom  he  could  get  advice, 
if  not  candles,  merely  for  the  asking. 

Our  time  was  not  all  given  to  rest.  A  train  was  sent  to  the  town 
one  morning  for  supplies ;  and  it  was  understood  that  a  body  of 
lancers  was  lying  in  wait  to  surprise  it.  Some  four  hundred 
men  were  consequently  ordered  out  as  an  escort,  and  prevention 
proved  better  than  cure,  as  no  attack  was  made.  We  learn  that  the 
guerrilleros  levy  upon  the  town  at  will,  taking  what  they  please,  and 
paying  for  nothing — they  are,  in  fact,  but  organized  plunderers  of 
their  own  people.  Our  army  must  offer  a  remarkable  contrast  in 
the  eyes  of  this  distracted  people — all  private  property  taken  by  the 
Americans  is  honestly  paid  for,  and  at  fair  prices.  Now  and  then, 
it  happens  that  some  act  of  violence  or  oppression  is  laid  at  the 
door  of  an  American  soldier,  but  injustice  to  the  unarmed  enemy 
is  generally  reprobated.  Some  trivial  passes  happened  between 
individuals  at  Jalapa,  and,  in  one  instance,  at  least,  that  came  under 
my  notice,  the  American  was  mortally  wounded.  It  appeared  that 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  47 

he  neglected  his  duty  as  sentinel  so  far  as  to  go  to  a  low  fonda,  or 
tavern,  where  he  drank  freely,  without  the  means  of  paying  for  his 
indulgence.  This  caused  a  quarrel;  a  party  of  Mexicans  sur 
rounded  the  soldier,  who  was  becoming  helplessly  drunk,  and  one 
of  them  inflicted  upon  him  several  severe  stabs,  entering  his  liver 
and  lungs,  and  causing  death  in  about  forty-eight  hours.  When 
brought  to  me,  some  hours  after  the  affray,  he  was  still  beastly 
drunk,  and  apparently  without  any  idea  of  the  extent  of  his  inju 
ries.  Several  officers  had  their  horses  stolen  during  their  short 
visit  to  the  town.  An  unfortunate  little  black  boy  was  severely 
beaten,  and  nearly  killed,  by  a  bold  robber,  who  rode  away  in  tri 
umph  on  the  noble  steed  the  boy  had  in  charge. 

A  lot  of  fresh  mules  was  bought  for  the  trains  at  Jalapa,  and 
taking  up  again  the  line  of  m'arch,  we  arrived  in  good  time  at  the 
hamlet  of  La  Hoy  a  (the  pit,  or  basin).  Here  General  Cadwalader 
had  a  severe  encounter.  The  road  passes  through  a  mountain  gorge 
of  most  remarkable  appearance,  that  looks  really  like  a  huge  trap, 
set  by  the  war  god  of  the  ancient  inhabitants,  to  take  in  unwary 
invaders — he,  good  soul,  had  never  heard  of  a  northern  tribe  at 
present  of  some  note,  under  the  cognomen  of  Los  Tanques.  Pic 
ture  to  yourself  a  deep  river,  with  mountain  shores  narrowing 
towards  a  point  like  a  fish-trap ;  then  do  away  with  your  river,  and 
let  a  road  occupy  its  bed ;  make  an  imaginary  disposition  of  troops, 
and  you  will  place  them  on  the  sides  and  tops  of  the  hills,  pro 
tected  by  their  elevation,  the  trees,  and  their  breastworks,  where  a 
portion  of  your  artillery  is  planted.  So  much  for  the  entrance  to 
the  pass ;  at  the  '  little  end  of  the  horn/  or  the  narrowest  part  of 
the  gorge,  cut  a  ditch  across  the  road,  and  behind  it  place  a  heavy 
barricade,  and  let  it  bristle  with  artillery.  Place  some  few  pieces 
also  at  intervals  along  the  converging  hillsides,  and  let  them  be 
well  supported  by  a  judicious  distribution  of  infantry.  With  reli 
able  troops,  then  you  might  defy  Santa  Anna,  or  another  lame 
personage  himself,  also  a  distinguished  commander,  whose  general 
ship  is  universally  admitted.  But  though  these  dispositions  actu 
ally  were  made,  a  small  American  force  dislodged  and  routed  the 
enemy,  and  passed  on  triumphantly  to  join  the  main  army. 


48  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

We  selected  rather  an  unfortunate  camp-ground  at  La  Hoya;  a  very 
pretty  green  spot,  indeed,  but  it  was,  I  suppose,  the  basin  that  gave 
its  name  to  the  village.  We  spent  the  night  in  a  hollow  that  may 
have  been  once  the  bed  of  a  lake — before  morning  we  might  have 
fancied  ourselves  in  the  lake  itself;  for  it  rained  in  torrents,  and 
all  the  rain  from  the  hills  poured  in  upon  us,  so  that  there  was  not 
only  water  enough  in  the  basin  for  ordinary  ablutions,  but  many  of 
us  were  favoured  with  baths  in  our  tents;  and,  what  was  less  desi 
rable,  our  clothes  and  bedding  were  soaked  by  the  deluge.  Withal, 
the  temperature  has  changed  greatly  since  we  have  been  ascending 
the  mountains;  the  nights  are  very  cold  to  those  who  have  just  left 
the  coast,  and  though  the  thermometer  may  not  indicate  any  great 
change,  our  feelings  do. 

We  left  La  Hoya  bright  and  early*  for  Perote,  which  we  did  not 
reach  until  late  at  night.  It  was  a  hard  day's  march  of  upwards 
of  twenty  miles,  a  great  portion  of  the  road  being  rough  and  moun 
tainous.  As  we  advance,  however,  the  country  is  enlivened  by 
more  dense  population;  ranches,  hamlets,  chapels,  ventas  (small 
shops  or  inns),  appear  on  all  sides.  Every  house  displays  on  its 
front  the  holy  symbol  of  the  cross — sometimes  gilt,  sometimes  of 
plain  wood  or  iron;  here  simply  painted  on  the  wall,  there  represented 
in  stucco.  The  spires  of  rustic  chapels  shoot  up  from  amidst  the 
green  trees  in  every  direction,  and  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the 
landscape,  though  the  edifices  themselves  are  generally  extremely 
plain  upon  a  nearer  view. 


LETTER   XL 

Perote — Castle  of  San  Carlos — Its  Condition — How  Occupied — Mortality — 
Exchange  of  Sick  for  Convalescents — Attending  Church — Sand-clouds — 
Exposure  of  the  Troops — Their  Imprudence — Opportunities  of  sending 
Letters  Home. 

Camp  in  the  Plaza,  Puebla,  August. 

PEROTE  is  a  dull,  uninviting  place,  of  about  four  thousand  inhabi 
tants  ;  it  is  on  an  elevation  of  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  49 

the  sea,  and  is  distant  from  Vera  Cruz,  by  the  road,  something  less 
than  forty  leagues.*  We  encamped  on  a  sand-plain,  near  the  great 
Castle  of  San  Carlos,  between  it  and  a  field  of  maize  or  Indian  corn, 
that  upon  such  soil,  gave  but  poor  promise  of  reward  to  the  cultiva 
tor.  The  Castle  is  a  very  extensive  and  formidable  fortress;  its 
massive  walls,  its  gates  and  drawbridges,  its  slopes  and  ditches,  re 
mind  one  of  the  boastful  English  proverb,  "  The  Spaniards  to  build 
fortSj  the  French  to  take  them,  and  the  English  to  keep  them."  Its 
site  appears  a  very  strange  one.  Standing  as  it  does  in  the  middle  of 
a  great  plain,  an  invading  army  could  always  turn  it  without  diffi 
culty;  and  the  only  apparent  advantage  is,  that  it  would  be  &  point 
d'appui  from  which  troops  could  conveniently  take  the  field,  and 
where,  in  case  of  need,  they  would  find  a  safe  retreat.  You  must 
always  receive,  however,  my  military  speculations  and  descriptions 
with  allowances.  I  cannot  pretend  to  do  more  than  give  such  views 
as  present  themselves  to  an  observer  entirely  unlearned  in  the 
science  of  war.  Within  the  gates,  I  found  objects  more  familiar 
than  moats  and  drawbridges,  ramparts  and  casemates :  the  temple  of 
Mars  was  dedicated  to  ^sculapius — the  great  Castle  was  but  a 
grand  hospital.  It  was  the  first  and  only  military  station  we  had 
arrived  at;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that,  even  in  the  occupancy  of 
American  troops,  it  was  most  horribly  filthy.  Volunteers  are  apt  to 
have  a  false  pride  as  regards  the  humbler  duties  of  military  life,  and 
they  are  very  unwilling  to  come  down  to  the  necessary  police  duties. 
The  idea  of  playing  scavenger  in  an  old  den  of  Mexican  troops,  was 
certainly  not  agreeable  to  men,  many  of  whom  enjoyed  high  social 
position  at  home,  and  who  entered  the  ranks  believing  that  fighting 
and  marching  were  the  only  legitimate  duties  of  soldiers.  Still,  after 
entering  upon  a  new  field  voluntarily,  it  became  incumbent  on  them 
to  endure  all  the  contingent  obligations.  Besides  the  troops  in 
charge,  principally  the  1st  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
and  Walker's  Company  of  Mounted  Rifles,  there  were  a  great 
many  soldiers  who  had  been  left  sick  by  bodies  of  troops,  regulars 

*  A  Mexican  league  is  equal  to  about  two  miles  and  five  furlongs  of 
American  statute  miles. 

5 


50  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

and  volunteers,  who  had  passed  up  previously.  Some  of  these  were 
on  duty;  others,  convalescent,  had  nothing  to  do  but  take  care  of 
themselves — while  the  greater  number  were  confined  to  their  rude 
couches,  bearing  it  in  their  expression  to  the  practised  eye,  that,  in 
the  language  of  Corporal  Trim,  speaking  of  poor  Lefevre,  "  they 
would  never  march  again  in  this  world/'  In  a  ditch  within  the 
outer  walls  of  the  Castle  is  a  cross,  around  which  were  strewed  hu 
man  bones :  we  were  told,  how  truly  I  know  not,  that  they  were  the 
remains  of  Texans,  who  had  been  executed  on  the  spot  and  left  there 
without  sepulture.  Outside  of  the  walls,  immediately  in  rear  of  our 
camp,  is  a  double  line  of  mounds,  where  repose  all  the  perishable  parts 
of  hundreds  of  our  brave  citizen-soldiers.  They  have  fallen  by  scores, 
and  not  upon  the  battle-field,  but  from  the  ravages  of  disease ;  by 
the  hand  of  the  ruthless  conqueror,  before  whom  they  fell  as  the 
grass  under  the  sickle  of  the  mower.  Death  has  been  dealing  his 
darts  so  freely  here,  that  in  many  cases  the  only  burial  was  that  of 
taking  a  dozen  bodies  at  once  to  be  laid  in  a  common  grave.  Perote 
is  considered  by  the  natives  a  healthy  place,  but  the  Castle,  in  its 
present  condition,  is  certainly  anything  else — yet,  it  is  to  be  ob 
served,  that  the  diseases  which  proved  so  fatal  did  not  originate 
there,  but  that  it  was  made  the  receptacle  of  all  the  unpromising 
cases  of  each  passing  portion  of  the  army.  Our  own  command  leaves 
such  cases  as  cannot  travel  without  transportation,  and  in  exchange 
we  take  with  us  such  as  are  sufficiently  restored  to  rejoin  their 
respective  regiments.  Many  a  poor  fellow,  in  his  anxiety  to  escape 
the  charnel-house,  reports  himself  well,  and  anxious  to  proceed, 
while  his  sallow  countenance  and  tottering  limbs  belie  his  assertions. 

On  Sunday,  I  attended  church  at  Perote — not  at  the  Castle,  for 
there  the  chapel,  a  tasty  and  handsome  apartment,  was  used  as  a 
sick  ward — but  in  the  town,  at  a  spacious  and  time-honoured  temple, 
where  there  was  a  large  crowd  of  worshippers.  The  interior  of  the 
church  was  imposing,  but  the  efiect  was  impaired  by  a  number  of 
coarse  paintings  and  tasteless  statuary.  Women  formed  eight-tenths 
of  the  assembled  congregation. 

During  our  stay  at  Perote,  we  were  excessively  annoyed  by  the 
light  sand  that  was  carried  about  in  clouds  by  every  breeze ;  just 


A  MIXED  DISH  FKOM  MEXICO.  51 

such  as  travellers  describe  of  the  deserts  of  Africa — though  with  us, 
upon  a  much  smaller  scale.  The  sand  penetrated  into  everything ; 
in  clothes-bags,  sugar,  salt — into  the  dishes  cooking  on  the  fire ;  it 
filled  our  eyes,  ears,  and  hair,  and  we  inhaled  it  at  every  breath. 

Our  sick  list  had  not  diminished  in  the  proportion  we  anticipated. 
The  march  itself  involved  a  great  deal  of  exposure,  particularly  as  it 
was  during  the  rainy  season;  all  day  we  are  subjected  to  a  scorching 
sun,  while  cold  and  heavy  rains  are  brought  with  the  shades  of  eve 
ning.  Few  of  the  men,  besides,  have  due  deference  to  Hygsea — 
they  eat  such  fruits  as  they  can  get,  green  or  ripe,  and  they  drink, 
when  it  can  be  had,  something  even  worse  than  bad  water.  If  the 
"  takes  care  of  his  own,"  he  does  it  very  badly. 

Up  to  the  time  of  reaching  Perote,  we  had  not  met  a  human  being 
bound  to  the  coast;  there,  however,  we  learned  that  a  number  of 
volunteers  whose  time  of  service  had  expired,  were  about  to  make 
their  way  to  Yera  Cruz,  homeward  bound.  We  could  not  go  with 
them,  except  in  spirit,  but  we  left  with  them  tidings  to  bear  to  our 
friends.  Then  "  shaking  the  dust  from  our  feet,"  we  resumed  our 
onward  march  in  the  bold  pursuit  of — glory  ! 


LETTER   XII. 

Cofre  de  Perote — Tierras  Frias — Face  of  the  Country — Haciendas  :  they 
look  like  Feudal  Strongholds — Transportation  of  Sick — Danger  to.  Strag 
glers — Wayside  Crosses — Inscription — Puebla,  the  Home  of  Angels — The 
Angelic  Poblanas  smile  not  on  the  northern  Sons  of  Mars. 

Puebla,  August. 

A  GREAT  landmark,  long  in  sight  before  reaching  Perote,  there 
appeared  close  at  hand ;  I  speak  of  the  lofty  mountain  called  the 
Cofre  of  Perote,  from  an  arrangement  of  rock  on  its  summit  bearing 
a  resemblance  to  a  huge  coffer  or  trunk.  To  my  eye,  it  looks  more 
like  the  hut  of  a  hermit,  another  Stylites,  who  had  thus  planted 
himself  above  the  cares  of  earth,  to  enjoy  a  nearer  view  of  the  visible 


52  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

heavens.  The  Cofre  is  of  "basaltic  porphyry;"  it  presents  an  ele 
vation  of  nearly  fourteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea ; 
but  standing  as  it  does  between  Orizaba  and  the  Puebla  mountains, 
whose  towering  summits  ascend  thousands  of  feet  in  the  region  of  per 
petual  snow,  its  great  height  is  diminished  to  the  eye  by  comparison. 

Our  march  had  hitherto  been  ascending,  but  at  Perote  we 
stood  upon  the  great  central  platform  of  Anahuac.  In  the  ascent  of 
the  Cordilleras  from  the  sea,  we  had  passed  successively  through 
the  tierras  calientes,  the  region  of  perennial  summer,  where  all  fruits 
and  flowers  of  the  tropics  reach  perfection,  and  where,  too,  pestilence 
is  condensed  and  concentrated;  through  the  tierras  templadas,  where 
the  chilling  blasts  of  winter  are  equally  unknown  with  the  scorching 
heats  of  summer;  and  now  we  entered  the  tierras  frias,  a  region 
cold  indeed,  compared  with  the  lowlands  behind  us,  but  where  there 
is  no  winter  as  we  experience  it  even  in  our  temperate  Middle 
States.  When  you  recollect,  however,  that  this  great  central  pla 
teau  is  the  summit,  in  fact,  of  a  range  of  mountains  among  the  most 
stupendous  on  earth ;  that  its  elevation  is  more  than  one  half  of  that 
required,  even  in  the  torrid  zone,  for  perpetual  snow;  it  will  be  obvi 
ous,  that  in  this  latitude,  it  was  not  at  all  amiss  to  christen  the  table 
lands,  TIEERAS  FRIAS. 

Once  on  the  highlands,  our  average  progress  was  much  better 
than  before ;  we  followed  a  good  road  over  immense  plains,  occasion 
ally  varied  by  hill  and  dale,  from  Perote  to  Puebla.  Mountains,  it 
is  true,  presented  on  every  side,  rearing  their  lofty  heads  towards 
heaven ;  but  they  rise  abruptly  from  the  plateau,  and  we  kept  our 
level  Voad,  winding  around  their  bases.  A  great  portion  of  the 
country  is  arid,  barren,  and  uncultivated ;  of  forests  there  are  none — 
we  had  left  them  behind  us ;  at  times,  scarcely  a  tree  was  to  be  seen 
for  miles.  Again,  we  passed  through  immense  fields  of  the  graceful 
and  luxuriant  maize  :  thousands  of  acres  lay  spread  out  before  us  in 
uninterrupted  tracts  of  this  invaluable  grain.  We  passed  through 
some  thrifty  villages,  and  by  great  haciendas;  the  road  was  en 
livened  by  caravans  of  mules  and  donkeys,  carrying  on  a  circulation 
of  trade  between  the  cities  and  country.  The  haciendas,  or  perhaps 
better,  villas,  that  is,  the  abodes  of  the  proprietors  and  tenements  of 


A  MIXED  DISH  FKOM  MEXICO.  53 

their  dependents,  which  dot  the  face  of  the  country,  add  greatly  to 
the  scenery.  In  the  midst  of  a  green  field  you  see  an  extensive  and 
massive  white  wall  surrounding  a  large  quadrangular  building,  white 
also,  that  looks  more  like  a  fortress  than  a  private  mansion.  Ex 
tensive  parapets,  more  for  defence  than  ornament,  and  loop-holes, 
smacking  of  the  feudal  ages,  and  rarely  seen  in  modern -edifices,  out 
of  Mexico,  are  common  enough  here,  where  every  man's  house  is 
literally  his  castle. 

Dire  disease  still  pursued  us.  Our  ambulances,  or  avalanches,  as 
the  men  call  them,  were  full  and  overfull ;  the  wagons  of  the  train 
were  pressed  into  the  service  of  transporting  sick,  in  addition  to  their 
proper  loads  \  but  still  many  had  to  drag  along  their  weary  limbs  as 
best  they  could,  or  drop  by  the  roadside.  This  was  extremely 
hazardous,  on  account  of  the  ravening  wolves  that  kept  constantly 
on  our  trail — near  enough  to  fall  upon  unwary  and  exhausted  strag 
glers,  and  yet  always  far  enough  off,  or  sufficiently  out  of  sight,  to 
save  their  precious  persons.  I  sometimes  found  myself  miles  be 
hind  the  train,  and  even  behind  the  rear-guard,  trying  to  restore 
and  bring  on  the  fallen.  The  best  that  could  be  done  in  such  cases 
was  to  group  a  party  of  the  unfortunates,  directing  them  to  stand 
by  their  arms  and  by  each  other,  and  thus,  marching  and  resting, 
to  follow  on  to  the  camp,  which  they  generally  reached  some  hours 
after  their  comrades.  I  must  admit,  that  on  leaving  my  little  squad 
to  ride  on  unprotected  to  my  own  position,  it  was  generally  with  a 
feeling  of  insecurity,  as  if  a  silent  lasso  from  behind  a  hedge  might 
interrupt  my  lonely  progress.  Sometimes  the  whole  road  would  be 
strewed  for  miles  with  stragglers,  who  could  get  on  indifferently  well 
when  allowed  to  go  at  their  own  pace,  but  who  could  not  keep  their 
positions  in  the  ranks — under  such  circumstances,  numbers  gave 
security.  It  is  not  particularly  pleasant,  when  alone,  to  pass  a  way 
side  cross,  with  a  pile  of  stones  around  it,  and  perhaps  an  inscrip 
tion — "  Don  Fulano  was  murdered  on  the  spot,  at  such  a  time,  and 
he  who  passes,  is  besought  to  offer  up  a  Paternoster  and  an  Ave,  for 
the  repose  of  his  soul."  These  memorials  abound  in  this  hapless 
land — 

5* 


54 

"For  wheresoe'er  the  shrieking  victim  hath 
Poured  forth  his  blood  beneath  the  assassin's  knife, 
Some  hand  erects  a  cross  of  mouldering  lath ; 
And  grove  and  glen  with  thousand  such  are  rife 
Throughout  this  purple  land,  where  law  secures  not  life." 

"We  reached  this  fair  city,  the  abode  of  angels  (Puebla  de  los  An 
geles),  about  noon  on  a  very  bright  day,  the  third  out  from  Perote, 
and  after  passing  a  considerable  time  in  search  of  quarters,  our  por 
tion  of  the  brigade  had  to  be  content  in  their  canvass  houses,  pitch 
ing  the  camp  in  a  beautiful  green  and  well-shaded  plaza  (square), 
near  the  cathedral.  The  city  does  not  show  to  advantage  as  ap 
proached  from  the  Vera  Cruz  road,  the  site  being  rather  low,  but 
we  entered  by  a  splendid  macadamized  road,  passed  the  garita, 
(guard-station  at  city  gate),  and  found  a  city  worthy  of  its  aspiring 
title.  Some  of  the  regular  troops  came  out  to  meet  us;  I  observed 
particularly,  a  gallant  and  dashing  general  officer  (Twiggs),  whose 
staff  and  dragoon  guard  with  their  well-appointed  and  highly  polished 
equipments,  their  free  use  of  "  pipe-claying  and  starching,"  threw 
our  travel-stained  and  sunburnt  warriors  deep  in  the  shade.  Puebla 
adorns  the  plains  of  the  ancient  Tlascala.  It  was  founded  upwards  of 
three  hundred  years  ago ;  and  a  legend  is  connected  with  its  name 
and  origin,  which  at  some  future  time  I  may  send  you.  The  an 
gels  who  tenant  it  now  (to  say  nothing  of  those  who  belong  to  our 
army)  are  the  fair  poblanas,  who  have  some  feminine  fame  through 
out  the  republic  of  Mexico  :  the  better  classes  at  present  are  as  in 
visible  as  the  celestial  spirits  who  keep  watch  over  them.  The 
triumphs  of  our  braves  have  so  far  been  over  men  only ;  the  smiles 
of  beauty  rest  not  on  the  victors;  even  their  avowed  willingness  to 
surrender  to  the  winning  graces  of  the  gentler  sex,  has  not  opened 
to  them  the  doors  of  the  boudoir  and  the  drawing-room.  Perhaps 
the  ladies  are  right;  but  other  reasons  than  the  stately  reserve  of  the 
old  Spanish  blood  cause  them  to  keep  our  gallants  aloof:  the  most 
trivial  acts  of  civility  or  courtesy  are  jealously  watched  by  prying 
eyes ;  and  the  poblana  who  once  nods  her  head  to  an  American,  is 
marked  by  a  fierce  and  cowardly  mob  for  future  insult. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FKOM  MEXICO.  55 


LETTER    XIII. 

An  old  Mexican  Town  "  set  to  rights"  and  disguised — The  Commander-in- 
chief  determines  to  advance  on  the  Capital — Danger  of  Delay — Pierce's 
Command  is  distributed — The  Army  composed  of  four  Divisions — The 
Marine  Regiment  is  assigned  to  General  Quitman's  Division  (of  Volun 
teers) — Component  Parts  of  the  Division — Churches  in  Puebla — Cathe 
dral — The  Governor's  Palace — Portales — Grand  Plaza— Market-place — 
Coaches — Departure  from  Puebla  by  Divisions — The  sight  of  the  Com 
mander-in-chief  inspires  confidence — Colonel  Childs  left  in  command  at 
Puebla — Relative  Conditions  of  Invading  and  Defending  Armies. 

San  Martin,  August. 

THE  main  body  of  the  ariny,  under  the  immediate  command  of 
its  illustrious  chief,  has  passed  the  summer  in  Puebla,  and  this  pro 
verbially  quiet  and  provincial  town  has  been  converted  into  another 
Babel.  The  rich  and  sonorous  tones  of  Old  Castile,  so  appropriate 
amidst  the  venerable  temples  and  antiquated  mansions  of  a  city 
whose  foundations  are  almost  coeval  with  the  discovery  of  the  conti 
nent,  are  blended  with,  or  I  may  say  overwhelmed  by,  the  "  divers 
tongues"  of  the  half  of  Europe ;  English,  Dutch,  French,  and  the 
well-known  brogue  of  the  gallant  son  of  the  Green  Isle — who  is  sure 
to  be  found  wherever  there  is  lovemaking  or  fighting — all  rise  at 
once  in  confused  sounds  that  almost  disguise  the  pure  vernacular  of 
Yankeedom.  Don't  suppose  for  a  moment,  though,  that  Jonathan 
himself  is  thrown  in  the  shade ;  by  no  means.  Behold  a  stately 
building,  that  looks  like  a  Neapolitan  palace ;  you  can  get  admission 
there — for  a  bit  of  painted  board  makes  it  the  "  New  York  Eating 
House;"  the  noble  pile  opposite  is  the  "Soldiers'  Home;"  and 
dozens  of  other  stately  edifices  are  reduced,  pro  teinpore,  into 
homely  restaurants.  Enter  any  of  these,  and  you  will  find  your 
fellow-citizens,  in  and  out  of  uniform,  discussing  politics  and  the 
war,  just  as  they  do  in  any  bar-room  in  the  States,  from  Maine  to 
Texas,  with  only  a  little  less  zest  than  they  clear  the  platters  before 
them. 


56 

Our  stay  in  Puebla  allowed  but  little  time  for  observation.  General 
Scott  had  been  anxiously  waiting  the  arrival  of  reinforcements  to 
set  out  for  the  capital.  He  considered  our  brigade  a  sufficient  addi 
tion  to  his  effective  force  to  move  forward.  Delay'  at  Puebla  was 
doubly  dangerous,  for  a  fatal  form  of  dysentery  had  carried  off,  or 
disabled,  a  large  portion  of  his  army,  on  the  one  hand,  while  on  the 
other,  each  day  was  enabling  the  enemy  to  increase  and  discipline 
his  forces,  and  to  perfect  his  defences.  Our  General  (Pierce)  had 
brought  on  his  command  with  remarjkable  success  ;  our  losses  on  the 
way,  compared  with  those  of  other  detached  commands,  had  been 
very  trifling ;  the  men  had  become  inured  to  hardships,  and,  except 
those  absolutely  sick,  (no  small  number,  by  the  way,)  our  people 
were  merged  in  the  main  army  in  much  better  fighting  condition 
than  when  they  left  the  coast.  General  Pierce  was  assigned  to  his 
proper  brigade,  and  the  various  regiments  and  companies  lately 
commanded  by  him  were  distributed  according  to  an  arrangement 
already  made  by  the  Commander-in-chief.  The  army  is  now  com 
posed  of  four  general  divisions,  under  the  respective  commands  of 
as  many  distinguished  generals,  viz.  :  Worth,  Twiggs,  Pillow,  and 
Quitman.  The  last  named,  whose  reputation  is  already  very  envia 
ble,  commands  the  volunteer  division,  which  I  will  subdivide,  as  it 
embraces  our  own  regiment,  (and  your  humble  servant  being  a 
voluntariOj  bongre,  malgre,  is  to  share  its  triumphs  and  defeats,) 
into  its  component  parts,  i.  e.,  1st,  New  Yorkers,  Col.  Burnett;  2d, 
Pennsylvanians,  Col.  Roberts;  the  South  Carolinians,  or  "Palmetto" 
Regiment,  Col.  Butler ;  U.  S.  Marines,  Lt.  Col.  Watson ;  a  company 
of  light  artillery,  Capt.  Steptoe ;  and  a  squadron  of  dragoons,  Capt. 
Gaither ; — the  three  last-mentioned  belonging  to  the  regular  service. 
There  is  a  siege  train  in  company  also,  of  twenty-four  pounders, 
each  piece  drawn  by  ten  horses,  commanded  by  Capt.  Huger,  of  the 
ordnance. 

While  in  Puebla,  I  visited  a  few  of  the  churches.  They  are  famous 
for  their  magnificence,  especially  the  cathedral,  which  is  distin 
guished  by  its  size,  its  architecture,  and  its  ornaments.  The  last 
are  at  once  rich  and  chaste,  of  costly  construction  and  material,  and 
withal  in  excellent  taste.  It  is  the  more  remarkable,  as  in  a  large 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  57 

proportion  of  Mexican  churches,  there  has  been  a  lavish  expenditure 
of  money  upon  objects  that  a  man  of  cultivated  taste  would  declare 
at  once  to  be  neither  seemly  nor  edifying.  The  cathedral  occupies 
one  side  of  the  grand  plaza;  the  Governor's  palace  is  opposite,  and 
was  occupied  by  the  Commander-in-chief  of  our  army  during  his 
stay ;  the  other  two  sides  of  the  square  present  long  ranges  of  shops 
on  the  ground-floor,  and  dwellings  above ;  and,  in  common  with  the 
palace,  uninterrupted  portales  extend  their  entire  length.  The  con 
struction  of  the  portales,  or  porticoes,  is  such  that  the  upper  front 
stories  of  the  houses  project  considerably,  and  are  supported  on 
uniform  arches,  so  that  the  sidewalks,  which  are  within  the  arches, 
are  protected  equally  from  sun  and  rain.  In  the.  middle  of  the 
plaza  is  a  splendid  fountain  ;  around  it  are  congregated  hundreds  of 
country  people,  seated  in  stalls,  or  standing  in  the  open  air,  offering 
for  sale  all  the  fruits,  flowers,  and  vegetables  that  the  surrounding 
country  produces.  In  front  of  the  cathedral  is  a  stand  for  hackney 
coaches,  rare  vehicles,  perhaps  modelled  after  that  of  Queen  Joanna, 
the  foolish,  who,  it  is  said,  introduced  the  first  coach  into  Spain.  So 
little  change  has  taken  place  in  Spanish  fashions  and  customs  for 
some  centuries,  that  the  coaches  in  actual  use  here  are  precisely  such 
as  you  see  in  the  old  illustrated  copies  of  Gril  Bias  and  Don  Quixote 
— they  are  the  same  huge,  lumbering  vehicles,  suspended  on  leather 
springs ;  el  cochero,  on  his  mule,  with  postilions  where  there  is  a 
team  of  four,  six,  or  eight  mules,  which,  though  unusual  with  hack 
ney  coaches,  is  very  common  with  travelling  carriages. 

We  left  Puebla  on  the  8th,  with  all  the  "pomp  and  circum 
stance"  that  bands  of  music,  floating  banners,  flashing  bayonets,  and 
rolling  drums  can  produce ;  the  street  windows  were  lined  to  see  the 
pageant,  thousands  of  spectators,  citizens  and  soldiers,  occupied  the 
sidewalks,  and  the  scene  was  really  imposing,  and  not  without  so 
lemnity.  Ardent,  and  full  of  hope  and  bright  visions  as  were  the 
gallant  spirits  who  were  about  to  engage,  some  for  the  first  time, 
others  for  the  twentieth,  upon  scenes  that  were  to  try  and  to  prove 
men — must  not  the  reflection  have  forced  itself  on  all,  that  many — 
and  who  could  say  how  many — of  the  best  and  the  bravest,  would 
never  retrace  the  steps  they  were  now  taking;  and  that  no  one  could 


58  EL  PUCHEHO,  OR 

say  but  that  a  few  days  or  weeks,  would  find  him  in  a  soldier's 
grave!  Motion,  however,  is  adverse  to  reflection;  each  step  of  the 
road  requires  some  petty  attention,  and  thus  the  mind  is  constantly 
occupied  with  trifles  of  the  moment,  superseding,  fortunately  per 
haps,  graver  thought.  The  four  divisions  did  not  start  off  together, 
but  each  on  a  day  assigned.  General  Twiggs  led  the  way  on  the 
7th,  General  Quitman  followed  on  the  8th,  and  we  left  Generals 
Worth  and  Pillow  to  follow  on  the  9th  and  10th,  successively. 
Scott,  the  commander  of  all,  and  the  master-spirit,  passed  us  the 
first  day,  hastening  on  with  his  dragoon  escort  to  join  Twiggs.  He 
was  received  with  "Hail  to  the  Chief,"  by  the  music  of  each  regi 
ment  as  he  passed,  and  deafening  cheers.  There  is  something  in 
his  ample  brow  and  majestic  form  that  inspires  confidence :  he  looks 
like  a  man  fit  to  conduct  any  great  enterprise  to  a  successful  issue. 

The  sick  of  the  army  and  a  small  force  under  Colonel  Childs,  a 
distinguished  officer,  remain  to  garrison  Puebla;  the  main  army, 
destined  to  achieve  miracles,  or  to  perish,  now  on  the  march  for  the 
capital,  consists  of  about  ten  thousand  men.  The  enemy  receives  us 
with  thirty  thousand  in  the  very  heart  of  his  own  country — while  we 
are  far  away  from  ours,  and  from  all  succour.  I  dare  not,  I  confess 
it,  I  dare  not  dwell  on  the  prospect,  opening  so  like  a  yawning  gulf 
immediately  before  us. 


LETTER   XIV. 

Buena  Vista — Country  and  Crops  from  Puebla  to  San  Martin — Pulque — 
Snow  Mountains — Popocatapetl  and  Istaccihuatl — The  more  Striking  be 
cause  Solitary — Ascent  of  the  Great  Barrier — An  Alarm — Rio  Frio — 
Airy  Lodgings — A  veritable  High-Road. 

Buena  Vista,  August. 

You  must  not  think  yourself  transported  to  the  immortal  Taylor's 
great  battle-field  because  this  is  headed  Buena  Vista,  which  means 
precisely  the  same  as  the  French  Bellevue,  and  is  similarly  applied 


COLONEL   GUILDS. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  •          59 

in  Mexico,  and  certainly  with  great  propriety,  in  innumerable  in 
stances.  Our  present  site  is  no  more  than  a  hacienda,  and  a  poorly 
stocked  venta.  We  passed  the  second  night  out  from  Puebla,  at  the 
antiquated  village  of  San  Martin,  which  stands  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  wall  enclosing  the  valley  of  Mexico.  We  traversed  to 
reach  it,  a  fine  rolling  country  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  bearing 
fine  crops  of  corn  and  barley,  and  adorned  by  numerous  castellated 
haciendas.  The  fields  are  commonly  enclosed  by  ditches  and  hedges; 
the  latter  being  frequently  of  the  maguey  (Agave  Americana),  are 
of  great  value,  not  only  as  being  impassable,  but  more  for  the  famous 
beverage  called  pulque,  which  is  to  the  Mexican  what  beer  is  to  the 
Englishman,  cider  to  the  American,  and  wine  to  the  Frenchman. 
The  maguey  plant  is  used  for  so  many  purposes,  that  it  may  be 
worth  while  to  enumerate  them,  which  I  will  do  when  a  little  more 
at  leisure. 

We  enjoyed,  en  route,  a  near  view  of  the  great  volcano,  Popoca 
tepetl,  which,  I  believe,  signifies  the  Smoke  Mountain,  and  its  colos 
sal,  but  not  volcanic  neighbour,  Istaccihuatl,  or,  the  White  Woman ; 
the  former,  a  majestic  cone,  upwards  of  seventeen  thousand  feet  high, 
the  loftiest  peak  of  North  America;  the  latter,  not  so  high,  but  ex 
tending  to  a  considerable  length  its  rugged  spine  in  the  ethereal 
region  of  perpetual  snow,  bearing  a  far-fetched  resemblance  to  a 
reclining  female  figure.  At  the  summit  of  the  sublime  Popocatapetl, 
and  for  three  thousand  feet  down  its  mighty  sides,  my  poor  eyes 
could  discern  nothing  but  spotless  snow,  sparkling  and  glittering  in 
the  sunbeams;  others,  keener-sighted,  in  reality  or  imagination, 
could  discern  a  wreath  of  circling  vapour,  rising  from  the  concealed 
depths  within.  I  have  seen,  when  coasting  along  the  western  shores 
of  our  southern  continent,  the  great  chain  of  the  Andes,  wearing  an 
unbroken  mantle  of  snow  as  far  as  eye  could  reach,  but  the  im 
pression  does  not  equal  that  made  by  these  solitary  peaks,  as  they 
present  themselves  to  the  wayfarer  on  shore ;  there  is  a  sublimity 
about  them  that  is,  at  once,  unspeakably  glorious  and  imposing. 

From  San  Martin,  we  commenced  the  ascent  of  the  porphyritic 
mountains  which  shut  us  out  from  "  the  happy  valley."  The  day 
was  very  bright,  and  old  Sol  darted  his  rays  down  upon  us,  as  he 


60  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

did  on  the  unfortunate  traveller  he  uncloaked  on  a  certain  memorable 
occasion ;  clouds  of  dust  enveloped  us,  and  as  the  day  advanced,  the 
men  began  to  give  way  in  numbers,  from  exhaustion;  we  were  all 
the  while  in  constant  expectation  of  a  general  engagement  at  any 
point  along  the  road,  though  more  especially  at  Rio  Frio,  a  strong 
pass  we  were  approaching.  Suddenly,  a  few  dragoons  rode  by  us 
most  furiously,  seeking  the  General  to  announce  that  the  rear  was 
attacked.  Then  the  drums  commenced  to  roll  along  the  line;  offi 
cers  and  men  sprung  to  their  places ;  the  General  passed  to  the  rear, 
and  all  of  us  believed  that  an  engagement  was  at  hand ;  some  sharp 
firing  at  the  rear  confirmed  the  opinion,  but  the  battle  was  soon 
over,  and  resulted  in  no  very  great  loss ;  a  straggling  dragoon  had 
dropped  behind  from  some  cause,  when  he  was  set  on  by  a  company 
of  mounted  lancers,  who  wounded  him  in  several  places,  but  did  not 
take  time  to  finish  their  work,  finding  themselves  noticed  and  pur 
sued.  We  continued  our  march  to  Rio  Frio  (cold  stream),  where 
we  encamped  for  the  night.  At  Puebla  we  had  been  told  to  expect 
a  general  engagement  at  this  point,  on  account  of  its  wonderful  na 
tural  defences.  We  found,  however,  no  enemy.  Afonda,  kept  by 
a  German  and  his  wife,  furnished  food  and  lodgings  to  as  many  as 
could  be  there  accommodated.  I  contented  myself  with  the  pur 
chase  of  a  loaf  of  fresh  bread,  which  was  luxury  enough  for  a  weary 
and  hungry  man,  and  repaired  to  my  tent  to  consume  a  homely 
meal  and  to  sleep  off  my  fatigue.  I  found  the  night  very  cold  in 
this  aerial  region  (we  had  made  a  march  of  upwards  of  twenty  miles 
during  the  day,  and  were  ascending  at  least  four-fifths  of  the  way), 
but  wrapping  my  comfort  around  me,  and  laying  aside  only  haver 
sack,  canteen,  and  spurs,  I  slept  soundly  until  nearly  daybreak, 
when  sufficiently  refreshed,  and  more  than  sufficiently  chilled,  I  went 
out  to  seek  comfort  by  the  guard-fire.  At  dawn  we  had  breakfasted, 
and  were  under  way;  it  had  rained  in  the  night  as  usual,  and  great 
difficulty  was  experienced  in  getting  the  train  and  heavy  ordnance 
pieces  up  the  slippery  hills ;  but  time  and  labour  brought  the  usual 
results,  and,  about  noon,  a  large  portion  of  the  volunteer  division 
stood  upon  the  highest  point  of  road  between  the  two  oceans ;  that 
is,  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  the  height  of  which,  at  that 
point,  falls  little  short  of  eleven  thousand  feet. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO,  61 


LETTER   XV. 

First  View  of  the  Central  Valley  of  Mexico — A  transparent  Atmosphere — 
Climate — Effects  of  Exposure— Concentration  of  the  Army — The  two 
Superior  Generals — El  Penon — Probable  Loss  of  Men  necessary  for  taking 
it — Snow-storm  in  the  Mountains — Reconnoitering. 

Buena  Vista,  August. 

DURING  the  descent  of  the  mountain,  the  army  enjoyed  the  sight 
of  scenery  of  surpassing  magnificence;  the  lovely  valley  or  basin 
of  Mexico,  lay  spread  out  like  a  panorama  of  fairy-land,  opening, 
closing,  and  shifting,  according  to  the -changing  positions  of  the  ob 
servers.  At  times,  nothing  would  be  visible  but  dark  recesses  in 
the  mountain,  or  the  grim  forest  that  shaded  the  road,  when  in  a 
moment,  a  sudden  turn  would  unfold,  as  if  by  magic,  a  scene  that 
looked  too  lovely  to  be  real.  It  was  an  enchantment  in  nature ;  for 
knowing,  as  we  did,  that  we  beheld  bona  fide  lakes  and  mountains, 
plains  and  villages,  chapels  and  hamlets,  all  so  bright,  so  clear,  and 
so  beautiful,  it  still  appeared  an  illusion  of  the  senses,  a  dream,  or 
a  perfection  of  art — nay,  in  the  mountain  circle,  we  could  see  the 
very  picture  frame.  I  could  see  nothing  of  the  city,  this  American 
Venice,  whose  tall  spires  many  persons  said  were  visible  from  certain 
points.  I  know  not  whether  the  fault  was  in  my  own  optics,  or  in 
the  far-sighted  imaginations  of  others.  There  is  a  clearness  in  this 
rare  and  elevated  atmosphere,  not  known  on  the  ordinary  level  of 
the  earth;  and  objects,  whose  distance  would  make  them  dim  and 
misty  elsewhere,  have  here  a  distinctness  of  outline,  that  brings 
them  so  much  in  the  field  of  vision,  as  to  give  a  delusive  idea  of 
their  proximity.  Although  we  are  here  in  the  tropics  in  the  middle 
of  August,  we  have  no  reason  to  complain  of  the  heat  of  the  climate ; 
on  the  contrary,  the  nights  are  really  cold,  and  even  during  the  day, 
it  is  quite  cool  passing  through  the  shady  defiles  of  the  mountains. 
At  noon  we  feel  the  sun's  power;  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 

6 


62  EL  PUCHEKO,  OR 

however,  the  sky  becomes  overcast,  and  a  cold  heavy  rain  sets  in, 
that  lasts  until  some  time  in  the  night :  it  is  then  we  find  it  uncom 
fortably  cold  in  tents ;  though  persons  dwelling  in  comfortable  houses 
probably  do  not  find  it  so.  For  myself,  I  improve  in  health  and 
strength  from  the  exposure,  and  so  do  many  officers  and  men ;  but 
others  appear  to  break  under  it,  probably  from  some  original  defect 
of  constitution,  or  yet  more  likely,  from  wanton  imprudence,  super- 
added.  The  men  threw  away  watch-coats  and  blankets  freely  while 
passing  through  the  tierras  calientes.  They  were  mere  incunibrances 
there,  but  here  they  suffer  much  for  want  of  them.  Consequently, 
the  diseases  commonly  incident  to  camps  are  ever  with  us. 

The  divisions  closed  up  as  they  reached  the  valley.  When  ours 
was  nearly  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  we  could  see  Twiggs  a  few 
miles  in  advance — the  General-in-chief  with  him  still;  Worth's  as 
far  behind ;  and  although  our  army  is  really  a  very  small  one,  the  im 
mense  train  accompanying  it,  makes  it  seem  double  or  quadruple  its 
size.  It  is  a  very  pretty  sight  to  see  the  wagons  winding  down  the 
hills  from  a  distance :  with  their  white  canvass  covers,  they  look  like 
flocks  bearing  ample  fleece,  and  they  are  visible  through  trees  and- 
above  bushes  when  no  part  of  their  escort  is  to  be  seen.  We  en 
camped  at  Buena  Vista  on  the  llth,  and  found  ricks  of  barley 
straw,  of  which  we  made  beds — the  only  time  I  have  enjoyed  such 
luxury  since  leaving  the  ship  at  Vera  Cruz.  On  the  12th,  Worth's 
fine  division  passed  us,  and  on  the  13th,  Pillow's,  to  encamp  at 
convenient  distances  from  each  other.  This  last  commander  is,  though 
a  new  soldier,  second  in  rank  to  the  Commander-in-chief — a  most 
unfortunate  circumstance  in  case  any  mishap  should  befall  General 
Scott;  for,  without  any  discussion  of  their  relative  merits,  Scott  com 
mands  the  perfect  confidence  of  the  entire  army,  which  the  other 
does  not  enjoy;  and  this  alone  would  be  enough  to  change  the  tide 
of  battle  against  us  under  trying  circumstances. 

Santa  Anna  is,  we  learn,  at  ElPenon,  a  rugged  hill  ten  miles  this  side 
of  the  city  of  Mexico,  immediately  on  the  road  thereto.  The  hill  is  a 
solitary  cone,  upon  which  he  has  planted  three  tiers  of  guns,  and  made 
substantial  breastworks ;  it  is  surrounded  by  water,  and  he  has  cut 
ditches  of  uncertain  depth  across  the  road,  behind  which  are  barri- 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  63 

cades  strongly  fortified ;  the  hill  commands  the  road  completely, 
which  is  there  but  a  causeway,  so  that  the  train  cannot  leave  it  to 
turn  the  work.  From  all  information,  it  is  very  certain  that  the 
place,  apparently  impregnable,  can  only  be  taken  at  a  terrible  sacri 
fice  of  human  life  on  the  part  of  the  assailants ;  while  the  assailed, 
behind  their  defences,  will  have  but  a  small  comparative  loss;  and  it 
must  be  kept  in  mind,  that  with  our  small  force,  every  life  is  valua 
ble,  we  are  far  from  recruiting  depots,  nearly  three  hundred  miles 
from  the  sea,  with  but  two  small  garrisons,  at  Puebla  and  Perote, 
upon  which  we  could  fall  back  if  necessary;  and  once  commencing 
a  retreat,  it  is  doubtful  if  we  could  even  reach  them.  We 
hear  that  General  Scott  says  it  will  cost  him  four  thousand  men 
to  take  Pefion ;  but  after  this  terrible  loss,  nearly  the  half  of  the 
army,  what  will  be  the  condition  of  the  remainder  ?  Yet  does  this 
army  confide  most  implicitly  in  his  wisdom  and  skill  to  conduct  it 
in  safety  and  honour  through  the  fearful  crisis  now  approaching. 
All  things  considered,  the  troops  are  remarkably  confident  and 
cheerful,  and  there  appears  to  be  a  general  conviction  of  a  successful 
issue.  May  it  be  justified ;  if  not,  we  may  consider  defeat  another 
word  for  annihilation. 

The  view  from  the  hacienda  of  Buena  Yista,  which  is  on  a  slight 
elevation,  is  certainly  remarkably  fine ;  but  I  cannot  conceive  of  any 
point  within  this  valley  where  it  can  be  otherwise,  there  being  in  so 
small  a  space  so  much  variety.  I  witnessed  here  a  grand  sight,  a 
snow-storm  on  the  mountain  tops,  while  it  was  clear  below.  You 
may  imagine,  but  I  cannot  describe,  its  sublime  beauty. 

Our  reconnoitering  parties  are  very  active,  gathering  information 
as  to  the  strength  and  positions  of  the  enemy.  It  is  a  hazardous 
duty,  but  the  time  has  come  for  every  man  to  be  willing  to  make  a 
sacrifice  of  himself,  if  necessary,  for  the  good  of  the  whole.  The 
engineers,  and  others*  engaged,  give  daily  practical  evidence  of 
their  ability  and  devotion  in  the  cause.  We  know  not  how  soon  to 

*  During  one  of  the  reconnoissances,  near  Mira  Flores,  several  dragoons 
were  killed,  and  Lieutenant  Schuyler  Hamilton,  a  gallant  young  officer, 
aide-de-camp  to  General  Scott,  was  severely,  if  not  mortally  wounded. 


64  EL  PUCHERO,  OE 

expect  to  meet  the  enemy ;  and  we  would  not  be  surprised  at  any 
moment  to  be  ordered  forward  to  the  attack.  We  expect,  of  course, 
dreadful  carnage,  but  believe  at  the  same  time  that  the  sagacity  of 
the  chief  will  save  all  unnecessary  bloodshed.  By  the  13th,  the 
anniversary  of  the  triumph  of  the  great  Spanish  conqueror,  we  hope 
to  enter  the  famed  capital  of  Mexico. 


LETTER   XVI. 

The  Army  leaves  the  direct  Road  to  the  City — Chalco — An  old  Church  and 
an  old  Curate — Record  of  the  Padre's  predecessors — A  fiery  Painting — A 
Voice  from  the  other  World — Human  Remains — Turning  Penon— Extinct 
Craters — Changes  wrought  by  Time. 

Camp  near  Lake  Chalco,  August. 

ON  the  15th,  we  (Quitman's  division)  left  our  camp  at  Buena 
Vista,  where  we  had  lain  for  several  days,  and  moved  to  Chalco,  an 
old  town  of  no  small  note  in  Mexican  history.  We  started,  as  if 
for  Penon,  marched  several  miles,  until  we  reached  Twiggs'  camp, 
near  Ayotla,  when  the  division  was  ordered  to  countermarch,  return 
to  a  fork  of  the  road,  near  the  point  from  which  it  started,  and  take 
the  road  to  the  left,  leading  to  Chalco.  Whether  we  made  the  first 
movement  by  mistake,  or  as  a  feint,  I  know  not,  but  presume  it  was 
the  latter.  We  made  a  very  slow  march,  over  a  road  that  led 
through  fields  of  growing  corn  (maize),  and  that  was  probably 
never  travelled  before  by  anything  more  pretending  than  the  lum 
bering  carts  of  the  country.  We  heard  considerable  firing  at  one 
time  at  a  distance  behind  us,  and  learned  afterwards  that  Twiggs' 
division,  now  coming  on  in  the  rear,  had  a  brush  with  a  large  column 
of  the  enemy,  which  however  soon  left  the  field,  and  their  dead  on 
it.  The  encounter  happened  near  the  fork  where  we  had  deviated 
from  the  direct  road  to  the  capital.  At  Chalco,  we  encamped  on  the 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  65 

ground  that  Worth's  division  left,  only  in  time  to  allow  us  to  occupy 
the  same  spot.  Several  of  our  regiments  pitched  their  tents  in  a 
grassy  and  well-shaded  enclosure  in  front  of  a  church,  that  has  stood 
the  buffetings  of  changing  seasons  for  centuries.  Its  solid  founda 
tions  and  massive  walls  look  as  though  intended  to  rival,  in  durability, 
the  neighbouring  mountains.  Besides  the  church  itself,  there  are 
various  apartments  under  the  same  roof,  probably  intended  as  a 
residence  for  monks,  but  the  only  occupant  at  present  is  an  ancient 
padre,  the  parish  priest,  who,  if  not  so  old,  is  much  more  tottering 
than  the  temple  in  which  he  offers  sacrifice.  At  the  head  of  a  flight 
of  steps  leading  to  a  suite  of  rooms,  the  following  inscription  is 
painted  on  the  walls,  under  the  names  and  times  of  service  of  all 
the  curates  who  have  officiated  there  since  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  six  hundred  and  six. 

"  LAUDEMUS  VIROS  GLORIOSOS,  ET  PARENTES  NOSTROS  IN  GENE- 

RATIONE  SUA." 

"  OMNES  ISTI  IN  GENERATIONS  SU^E  GENTIS  GLORIAM  ADEPTI 
SUNT.  Eccles.y  Cap.  XLIV.  Animse  eorum  per  misericordiam 
Dei  requiescant  in  pace." 

"  Let  us  praise  men  of  renown,  and  our  fathers  in  their  genera 
tion." 

"All  these  have  gained  glory  in  their  generations,  and  were 
praised  in  their  days.  From  the  forty-fourth  chapter  of  Ecclesiasti- 
cus.  May  their  souls,  through  the  mercy  of  Grod,  rest  in  peace." 

The  last  is  a  prayer  common  to  all  Catholic  Christendom  for  "  those 
who  have  gone  before"  into  the  realms  of  the  spirit  world. 

The  building  is  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  and  externally,  one  of  the 
angles  is  shut  up  by  a  monumental-looking  wall,  upon  which  is  a 
rough  painting  of  the  sufferings  of  those  who  left  this  world  with 
sins  not  yet  atoned  for,  but  whose  crimes  are  not  supposed  to  be  so 
heinous  as  to  merit  eternal  punishment. 

The  following  inscription,  as  the  voice  of  one  of  the  sufferers,  in 
old  Spanish,  accompanies  the  painting,  at  once  a  warning  and  peti 
tion,  to  half-repentant  sinners  -whose  sands  are  yet  running. 

"  HOY  POR   MY,  MANANA   POR  TY COMO  TE  BEO,  ME   BI — COMO 

ME  BES,  TE   BERAS.       ALIBIAME   POR   TU   AMOR  QUE  OTRO  A  TI,  TE 

6* 


66  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

ALIBIARA.      CUANTO  BIEN  HASES  FOR  MI,  ES  OTRO  TANTO  CAUDAL 
QUE  CONTREPESADO  A  EL,  ATESORAS  PARA  TY." 

Which  may  be  somewhat  freely  translated  as  follows  :  "I  to-day 
— thou  to-morrow — what  thou  art,  I  was ;  as  thou  seest  me,  wilt 
thou  be  seen  thyself.  Aid  me,  for  thine  own  love,  that  another  may 
aid  thee.  All  the  good  thou  doest  for  me  is  so  much  treasure  laid 
in  the  balance,  in  thy  favour." 

There  is  an  aperture  in  the  wall,  partly  filled  by  an  image  of 
Nuestra  Sehora,  the  virgin  mother :  through  the  opening  may  be 
seen  heaps  of  human  bones,  and  many  niches  are  adorned  with 
human  skulls,  themselves  impressing,  without  inscription,  the  solemn 
f(  memento  mori." 

General  Scott  and  staff  were  at  Chalco  on  our  arrival,  and  it  was 
reported  he  was  going  to  order  a  portion  of  the  army  to  the  city  by 
way  of  the  lake,  in  boats  found  at  the  town ;  but  no  such  order  was 
given.  He  went  on  to  jtrin  Worth,  and  Quitman's  division  followed 
in  the  morning.  Our  march  brought  us  to  a  hamlet  less  than  ten 
miles  from  Chalco;  but  on  account  of  the  road,  it  was  impossible  to 
go  farther.  We  are  close  on  the  heels  of  Generals  Worth  and  Pil 
low,  as  Twiggs  is  on  ours,  and  we  are  making  a  detour  around  Lake 
Chalco,  so  as  to  turn  the  formidable  Penon,  and  thus  neutralize 
Santa  Anna's  great  preparations  at  that  point.  The  Mexicans  not 
dreaming  that  with  our  heavy  train  we  would  attempt  or  could  pass 
along  this  road,  have  expended  all  their  time  and  labour,  fortifying 
that  which  we  have  just  left. 

This  valley  is  marked  by  numerous  truncated  cones,  varying  in 
height  from  one  to  five  hundred  feet,  which  are  extinct  craters. 
What  must  have  been  the  condition  of  the  basin  when  it  was,  as  it 
were,  one  huge  caldron,  boiling  over  at  so  many  points  !  Imagine,  if 
you  can,  hundreds  of  these  Cyclopean  chimneys  belching  forth  at 
once  fire  and  smoke,  sending  forth  torrents  of  liquid  lava,  boiling 
and  raging  as  it  descended  to  spread  over  the  troubled  and  trembling 
plain !  And  if  the  pigmy  earthquakes  and  eruptions  of  this  age  of 
the  world  are  accompanied  by  so  fearful  a  roar,  what  must  it  have 
been  when  these  huge  mountains  were  heaved  up  to  their  present 
wondrous  height  by  the  giant  throes  of  earth  convulsed  !  Behold 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  67 

the  change.  Nature  is  stilled  and  hushed — a  calm  serenity,  a  death 
like  stillness  rests  upon  the  scene  once  so  fearful — and  man,  the 
creature  of  yesterday,  weak  and  proud,  dares  to  wake  the  slumbering 
hills  and  dales  with  his  contests ;  and  to  announce,  upon  this  spot, 
through  the  iron  throats  of  his  destroying  agents,  the  story  of  his 
ambition  and  his  hate  ! 


LETTEK   XVII. 

Cultivation  of  the  Soil — The  Maguey  Plant  (Agave  Americana) — Pulque, 
the  Wine  of  Mexico — Mescal,  the  Usquebaugh — The  Merits  of  Pulque, 
better  than  Nectar — Bringing  it  to  Market — Like  Vice,  it  comes, 

"  A  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 
As  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen," 

Yet  soon  becoming  familiar,  is  first  endured,  then  embraced — Manner  of 
Procuring — The  new  Liquor  (Agua  Miel,  Honey  Water),  resembles  the 
Milk  of  the  Green  Cocoanut — Various  Uses  of  the  Plant — Groves  of  Olive 
Trees — Vegetables — Fruits — A  Rough  Road  —  Obstructions  —  The  Ball 
Opened— An  Officer  Bailed. 

In  Quarters,  San  Augustin  de  los  Cuevas,  August. 
OUR  slow  progress  gave  us  some  opportunity  of  seeing  the  culti 
vation  of  the  country,  as  we  passed  through  and  by  many  fields  and 
patches  that  represent  the  market-gardens  near  our  large  cities. 
The  most  important  article  of  produce  appears  to  be  the  Agave 
Americana,  or  maguey  plant,  which  is  the  vine  of  Mexico :  it  fur 
nishes  pulque,  the  wine  of  the  country,  and  mescal,  a  strong  alcoholic 
drink,  somewhat  resembling  Irish  whiskey.  If  the  Mexicans  were 
a  poetic  people,  many  would  be  the  odes,  written  and  sung,  in  honour 
of  the  former,  for  it  receives  the  devoted  attentions  of  all  classes  of 
people,  as  the  numerous  signs  attest  at  innumerable  pulguerias. 
You  are  constantly  seeing  by  the  roadside,  not  only  men,  women, 
and  children,  with  pulque  for  sale,  but  at  every  angle  of  the  road,  a 


68  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

hut  with  tempting  invitations,  as  follows : — "  PULQUE  ! !  AL  NECTAR 

DE  LOS  DIOSES,"  "  Pulques  Fines  de  ,"  from  some  particular 

hacienda,  as  fine  wines  from  some  particular  vineyard.  The  walls 
of  the  pulquerias  are  commonly  adorned  with  illustrations  in  fresco 
of  the  charms  of  the  beverage.  It  is  the  fermented  juice  of  the 
maguey,  and  varies  in  strength  and  condition,  like  cider.  Our  people 
were  at  first  as  much  prejudiced  against  it,  as  are  the  natives  in  its 
favour ;  and  when  one  sees  the  uninviting  form  in  which  it  is  carried 
to  market,  it  requires  a  stomach  above  all  squeamishness  to  acquire 
a  relish  for  it.  A  string  of  dirty  and  squalid-looking  Indians,  with 
long  matted  hair,  garments  of  the  scantest,  leaving  the  chest  and 
limbs  exposed,  feet  bare,  or  with  the  simplest  sandals,  and  the  whole 
person  sunburnt  almost  to  blackness,  are  the  cargadores  of  the  pre 
cious  burden,  which  they  bring  on  their  backs  in  skins.  These 
last  preserve  the  form  of  the  "  entire  swine"  from  which  they  are 
taken ;  so  that  every  Indian  appears  to  have  a  hog  on  his  shoulders, 
wanting  only  the  head.  The  tails  and  legs  stand  out  in  bold  relief, 
occasionally  moved  by  the  fluctuations  of  the  contained  liquid.  But 
campaigning  cures  fastidiousness  so  effectually,  that  dirt  becomes  a 
sort  of  condiment,  or  at  least  nobody  objects  to  it;  and  pulque  soon 
obtained  favour,  in  spite  of  Indians  and  hog-skins.  It  is  really  a 
most  refreshing  beverage,  with  a  piquancy  peculiar  to  itself,  that 
becomes  by  habit  very  grateful.  The  immoderate  use  of  it,  as  of 
hard  cider,  causes  intoxication.  It  is  obtained  somewhat  as  follows : 
About  the  period  of  inflorescence,  when  the  plant  has  reached  from 
five  to  ten  years  of  its  growth,  the  central  leaves  are  cut,  and  the 
juice,  which  was  to  have  been  expended  in  furnishing  the  flowers, 
exudes  slowly  for  some  months,  when  it  is  daily  collected  in  gourds 
by  the  Indians,  and  kept  until  it  undergoes  the  necessary  fermen 
tation,  a  process  much  hastened  by  the  addition  of  a  little  old  pulque. 
The  first  liquor  is  called  agua  miel  (honey  water) ;  it  is  rich  in  sugar 
and  mucilage,  and  the  taste  resembles  much  that  of  the  milk  of  the 
green  cocoanut,  a  favourite  beverage  wherever  known.  I  have  drank 
the  sweet  liquid  from  the  cup  formed  in  the  plant  for  receiving  it  as 
it  exudes ;  but  the  Mexicans  never  use  it  until  after  fermentation. 
The  plant  fulfilled  various  purposes  among  the  Aztecs :  it  furnished 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  69 

them  paper,  coverings  for  their  houses,  lancets,  from  the  sharp 
prickles  bordering  the  leaves,  needles,  cordage  and  cloth,  from  the 
strong  fibres  which  form  the  texture  of  the  leaves,  and,  as  now,  im 
penetrable  hedges.  Ropes  are  still  made  of  the  fibres,  of  such 
strength  that  bridges  are  suspended  on  them  in  certain  parts  of 
Mexico.  Withal,  the  plant,  so  rich  in  juices,  will  thrive  in  a  soil 
too  arid  to  produce  any  of  the  ordinary  fruits  of  the  earth.  It  has 
other  uses,  you  see,  besides  bringing  pulque  and  mescal. 

We  passed  through  immense  olive  groves :  the  trees  are  truly 
magnificent,  but  the  fruit  is  small  and  indifferent; — through  fields 
of  corn,  beans,  tomatoes,  peppers,  &c.,  all  grown  for  the  city  market. 
We  see  often  the  fruit  trees  of  the  tropics,  but  the  fruit  commonly 
does  not  mature,  or  is  in  some  way  defective.  We  are  enabled  to 
get  occasionally,  supplies  of  fruits,  as  apples,  pears,  peaches,  oranges, 
figs,  the  fruit  of  the  prickly  pear  (  Cactus  opuntia),  which  is  in  great 
favour  with  many  persons,  alligator  pear  (Laurus  Persea),  and 
others ;  but  they  are  generally  scarce,  in  great  demand,  and  conse 
quently  high.  I  frequently  notice  a  tree  by  the  roadside  producing  a 
berry  very  like  cubebs  (Piper  cubeba),  both  in  appearance  and  taste ; 
that  is,  it  has  a  mixed  taste  of  pepper  and  turpentine.  The  natives 
call  it  the  Arbol  del  Peru  (tree  of  Peru);  they  obtain  from  it  a 
balsam,  which  has  the  common  virtues  of  the  terebinthinates. 

We  had  a  very  tedious  time  getting  here,  passing  by  lakes  Chalco 
and  Jochimilco.  The  road  at  times  appeared  almost  impassable  for 
foot,  to  say  nothing  of  wagons,  ambulances,  and  heavy  artillery. 
Sometimes  there  was  scarcely  the  width  of  a  wagon  between  the 
marshy  lake  on  one  side,  and  rough  precipitous  banks  on  the  other ; 
and  again  the  road  was  a  causeway  of  rough,  shapeless  rocks,  about 
as  definite  in  size  as  the  piece  of  chalk  you  have  heard  of,  irregularly 
laid  or  heaped  over  a  miry  bottom.  It  was  a  difficult  matter  to 
keep  on,  or  pass  over  them,  and  fatal  to  get  off.  The  greatest  ob 
jection  to  our  delay  is  that  it  gives  Santa  Anna  time  to  make  new 
preparations ;  but  he  can  make  none,  it  is  said,  equal  to  the  Penon 
defences.  He  had  his  emissaries  out,  obstructing  our  road  by  fell 
ing  trees,  rolling  down  rocks  from  overhanging  banks,  &c. ;  but, 


70  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

though  it  caused  some  detention,  the  obstacles  were  readily  removed 
by  Worth,  whose  division  led  the  way. 

On  the  18th,  approaching  this  village,  or  Puebla :,  we  were 
warned  to  expect  an  engagement.  Quitman's  division  encamped, 
our  portion  of  it  in  a  cornfield,  ready  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice. 
We  heard  during  the  day  a  brisk  firing  of  artillery.  I  ascended 
one  of  the  numerous  mountain  cones  not  far  distant,  and  found  the 
gallant  General  there  with  his  staff,  overlooking  the  plains  below. 
From  our  position  we  could  see  distinctly  the  flash  and  ascending 
smoke  from  the  pieces,  but  nothing  in  detail,  on  account  of  trees, 
&c.  We  had  a  fair  view  at  the  same  time  of  Penon,  the  terrible, 
from  the  summit  of  which  waved  the  tricolour  of  the  Mexican  re 
public. 

The  firing  became  more  active  as  the  day  advanced,  and  we  were 
on  the  tiptoe  of  expectation,  looking  for  a  general  engagement. 
After  a  while  some  reports  came  in,  and  we  learned  that,  early  in 
the  day,  Captain  Thornton,  of  the  2d  dragoons,  a  Virginian  and  a 
gallant  officer,  had  been  killed  by  a  cannon-ball,  the  first,  I  believe, 
that  was  fired,  while  escorting  Major  Smith  and  other  engineers  on 
a  bold  reconnoissance :  their  interpreter  was  severely  wounded.  The 
continued  fire  was  on  Worth's  division,  engaged  in  planting  batteries 
against  the  fortified  hacienda  of  San  Antonio.  The  excitement 
among  us  became  intense,  I  assure  you;  the  men  crowded  the  hill 
tops,  looking  for  what  was  to  be  seen,  and  expressing  most  ardently 
their  desire  to  be  led  at  once  to  battle — action  is  so  much  better  than 
suspense ; — and  the  Mexicans  rushed  to  their  house-tops,  burning, 
no  doubt,  with  feelings  they  were  too  wise  to  express  so  near  the 
daring  enemy. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  71 


LETTER   XVII I. 

San  Augustin,  or  Tlalpam — Renewed  worship  of  HUITZLIPOCHTLI,  the  ancient 
God  of  War — San  Antonio — Contreras — Field  of  Lava  (Pedregal) — Trans 
portation  of  Artillery  Pieces — Working  under  fire  of  the  Enemy — View 
from  a  Church  Tower — Batteries  Planted — A  bad  Night — Prospects  gloomy 
— Enemy  elated — Sufferings  and  Exposure  of  our  Troops — Quitman's 
Reserve  starts  for  the  Scene  of  Action — Battle  won  before  reaching 
there — Prisoners  of  WTar,  &c. — Note — Some  Details  of  the  Battle  of  Con 
treras. 

San  Augustin  de  las  Cuevas,  August. 

THIS  is  quite  a  pretty  village,  some  ten  miles  from  the  capital, 
on  the  road  to  Acapulco,  the  principal  port  on  the  west  or  Pacific 
coast  of  Mexico ;  its  name  under  the  former  rulers  was  Tlalpam ; 
but  the  Spaniards  rechristened  even  the  heathen  towns  in  their 
zeal  to  blot  out  the  remembrance  of  the  religion  and  the  power 
they  were  then  levelling  to  the  earth;  and  Tlalpam  bears  the  title 
imposed  on  it  by  the  Christian  conquerors.  The  hideous  god  of 
war,  old  Huitzlipochtli,  is  once  more  awake  in  his  favourite  valley, 
and  receives  again  his  hecatombs  of  human  victims.  Since  my  last, 
a  bloody  battle  has  been  fought,  and  the  din  of  war  still  resounds 
in  my  ears.  There  are,  it  seems,  in  all  directions  leading  out  from 
the  capital,  three  separate  fortifications  on  each  road  or  causeway ; 
each  of  which  has  to  be  carried  successively,  before  the  army  can 
reach  the  city ;  the  first  of  these,  on  this  road,  is  at  the  hacienda  of 
San  Antonio.  As  commonly  understood  among  us  here  (in  a  chafing 
reserve),  Worth's  division  was  planted  before  the  hacienda,  and  Pil 
low's  ordered,  by  a  detour  of  several  miles,  to  fall  upon  it,  a  tergo, 
or  as  soldiers  say,  in  reverse.  The  division  sallied  out  on  the  19th, 
expecting  something  of  a  brush  at  a  point  about  four  miles  distant. 
A  laborious  march,  great  natural  difficulties  in  opening  the  road,  &c., 
brought  them  in  the  afternoon  within  the  range  of  the  Mexican 
batteries,  and  it  soon  appeared  that  the  brush  would  result  in  a  great 
battle. 


72  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

The  Mexicans  were  established  in  great  force  on  a  commanding 
hill  near  the  village  of  Contreras,  under  the  command  of  General 
Valencia,  second  in  rank  to  his  excellency  the  President,  and  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  forces.  Pillow  and  Twiggs  were  to  carry 
Contreras,  en  passant,  and  pursue  their  course  to  the  main  road  be 
yond  San  Antonio.  This  was  easier  said  than  done.  Our  troops 
had  to  make  a  road  as  they  marched;  and  their  difficulties,  to  most 
persons,  would  have  appeared  insuperable.  The  course  lay  over 
what  is  here  called  "  Pedregal"  or  field  of  lava.  It  is  a  mass  of 
irregular  uninterrupted  rocks,  nearly  a  mile  wide  at  the  point 
crossed  by  the  army.  At  many  points,  there  are  perpendicular 
barriers  of  rock,  some  firm,  others  loose,  and  all  impracticable  for 
the  motions  of  dragoons  or  artillery;  yet  so  indispensable  was  the 
agency  of  the  latter,  that  two  batteries  (Magruder's  light,  and  Cal- 
lender's  howitzer)  were  dragged  into  position  by  the  hands  of  the 
troops,  so  as  to  play  on  the  camp  at  Contreras.  All  this  was  not 
only  great  labour,  but  it  caused  much  delay,  and  that  was  a  period 
of  no  little  suspense  and  suffering  among  our  troops.  The  Mexi 
cans,  safely  ensconced  behind  their  entrenchments,  played  away  on 
our  fellows,  without  let  or  hindrance.  They  were  entirely  out  of  our 
reach  :  musketry  would  not  touch  them ;  and  for  weary  hours  were 
our  men  lifting  and  hauling  the  unwieldy  pieces  of  artillery,  ex 
posed  fully  to  the  iron  hail  that  fell  around  them,  with  no  more 
power  to  return  it  than  has  the  stricken  wayfarer  to  send  back  the 
shower  from  heaven.  Slowly  and  wearily  did  the  Americans  clear 
obstructions,  and  advance  upon  the  enemy.  There  was  no  rush, 
no  charge,  none  of  that  brisk  stirring  excitement  that  keeps  men 
in  heart ;  the  only  virtues  called  for  were  steady  labour,  and  patient 
endurance.  With  others  not  participating  in  the  fight,  I  stood  in 
the  belfry  of  a  church,  looking  on  in  a  state  of  the  most  intense 
excitement.  The  scene  was  not  clear,  on  account  of  the  distance,  and 
the  rocks,  bushes,  &c.,  which  concealed  almost  entirely  the  motion 
and  progress  of  the  troops;  but  we  could  see  and  hear  every  shot 
fired  by  the  Mexicans,  while,  for  hours,  it  was  but  too  evident  there 
was  no  return  from  the  Americans.  .  My  own  mind  was  in  torture. 
Why  should  the  Americans  stand  back  as  they  did  to  be  mowed 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  73 

down,  instead  of  rushing  to  the  charge,  and  carrying  all  before 
them  ?  Were  they  kept  at  bay  by  the  overwhelming  force  of  the 
enemy  ?  Why,  then  was  not  our  whole  army  ordered  out  to  decide 
the  contest  at  once  ?  These,  and  a  thousand  impatient  questions 
were  in  every  man's  mouth,  for  the  delay  was  certain,  the  cause  en 
tirely  unknown.  It  showed  the  anxiety  of  the  spectators,  if  not 
their  judgment.  My  eyes  would  wander  from  the  battle-field  to  the 
towers  and  spires  of  the  distant  city,  and  I  asked  myself  when  we 
would  be  there,  and  at  what  sacrifice  ?  During  the  afternoon  the 
batteries  were  successfully  planted,  and  commenced  their  deadly 
work,  but  at  great  disadvantage.  They  were  small  pieces,  but  few 
of  them,  and  entirely  exposed,  while  the  enemies',  per  contra,  were 
large,  numerous,  and  protected.  They,  however,  played  their  part 
faithfully,  though  with  heavy  losses.  Meantime  the  battle,  so  far 
one-sided,  continued  until  the  dark  mantle  of  night  covered  over 
the  contending  hosts.  It  was  a  dreadful  night.  I  was  in  pursuit 
of  quarters  at  a  late  hour,  when  I  fell  upon  a  house  occupied  by  a 
reserve  of  New  Yorkers.  After  a  while,  one  of  the  followers  of 
the  army  came  in,  who  gave  a  sad  picture  of  the  prospects  and 
condition  of  our  army.  He  left  the  field  at  dark — the  men  were 
ready  to  drop  where  they  stood, 

"  The  weary  to  sleep  and  the  wounded  to  die." 

They  were  suffering  with  cold,  hunger,  thirst,  and  want  of  rest — 
they  were,  withal,  disheartened,  because  they  had  suffered  without 
the  power  of  retaliation,  while  the  Mexicans  were  in  a  perfect  gale 
at  their  astonishing  success.  This  was  shown  by  the  spirit  and 
clangour  of  their  martial  music  and  their  shouts  of  joy — "vivas." 
During  the  night  the  rain  fell  in  torrents — indeed,  it  appeared  to 
me  to  exceed  the  heaviest  showers  I  had  known  in  Mexico ;  and  as 
it  was  very  cold,  you  may  judge  what  they  suffered,  who,  faint  and 
exhausted,  had  to  bear  its  peltings  as  they  lay  on  the  wet  sod,  or 
on  the  rocks  of  the  Pedregal.  The  conflict  had  become  so  desperate 
that  Garland's  brigade  of  Worth's  division,  had  been  ordered  to  the 
scene  of  action  by  the  commander-in-chief ;  and  early  next  morning 

7 


74 

(20th)  the  reserve  at  San  Augustin  was  directed  to  move  to  partici 
pate  in  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  As  we  approached  the  field,  how 
ever,  loud  shouts,  that  were  not  "  vivas,"  indicated  that  our  people 
were  in  high  spirits ;  and  very  shortly  our  march  was  arrested,  and 
the  brigade  ordered  to  countermarch,  as  Contreras  was  won.  We 
were  obliged  to  retrace  our  steps,  though  most  reluctantly;  but 
General  Scott  considered  San  Augustin  too  important  a  point  to  be 
abandoned,  and  as  it  was  the  depot  of  ordnance  stores,  &c.,  its  pro 
tection  was  of  prime  importance.  General  Quitman  was,  therefore, 
left  in  command,  with  a  portion  of  his  division.  It  was  a  hard  inflic 
tion  on  a  man  of  his  temperament,  and  he  did  not  submit  without 
using  every  exertion  to  get  on  active  service.  Scott  was  inexorable. 
Some  one  must  be  left,  and  there  was  great  danger  of -an  attack  at 
that  point,  the  enemy  knowing  it  to  be  our  great  depot.  No  one 
could  be  better  trusted  than  Quitman  for  the  defence ;  and  he  had 
to  subject  his  inclinations  to  his  sense  of  duty. 

The  taking  of  Contreras  was  "honour  enough  for  one  day;" 
but  the  din  of  battle  continued.  Our  troops  followed  the  fugitives 
to  another  stronghold  on  the  main  road,  and  in  the  mean  time  hun 
dreds  of  prisoners,  including  the  notorious  General  Salas,  late  Vice- 
President  of  the  Republic,  who  had  announced  "  no  quarters"  when 
elated  with  the  prospect  of  victory,  were  brought  in  to  this  place 
for  safe  keeping. 


NOTE. — The  Battle  of  Contreras,  at  first  so  threatening,  not  only  to 
the  honour  but  to  the  very  existence  of  the  invading  army,  now  stands 
recorded,  surrounded  by  a  halo  of  glory,  upon  our  national  archives. 
A  detailed  account  of  it,  as  of  battles  generally,  can  only  be  given 
by  a  man  versed  in  the  art  of  war  and  military  literature ;  but  an 
outline  sketch  for  the  general  reader,  taken  from  some  of  the  lead 
ing  reports,  may  not  prove  unacceptable,  nor,  in  this  connexion, 
inappropriate. 

On  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  August,  the  four  divisions  of  the 


A  MIXED  DISH  FKOM  MEXICO.  75 

American  army  were  at  or  near  the  town  of  San  Augustin,  with  the 
Commander-in-chief.  Worth's  division  was  engaged  at  San  Antonio, 
the  first  obstruction  on  the  highroad  to  the  capital ;  Twiggs'  and 
Pillow's  were  in  the  town ;  and  Quitman's  was  approaching  from  the 
last  night's  encampment.  General  Scott,  deeming  it  highly  im 
portant  to  throw  a  force  between  San  Antonio  and  the  city,  ordered 
careful  reconnoissances  of  the  surrounding  country,  for  the  purpose 
of  turning,  if  possible,  this  strong  point;  the  information  he  received 
was,  that  it  was  practicable  to  open  a  road  across  the  country  to  in 
tersect  a  road  leading  through  the  village  of  San  Angel  to  the  city. 
He  learned,  at  the  same  time,  that  in  anticipation  of  this  attempt, 
the  Mexicans  had  fortified  a  commanding  eminence,  overlooking  the 
proposed  route.  Generals  Pillow  and  Twiggs  were  ordered  with 
their  divisions  to  proceed  by  the  course  indicated  by  the  engineers, 
and  while  engaged  in  the  laborious  duty  of  opening  the  road,  they 
became  exposed  to  the  murderous  fire  of  the  enemy.  The  Mexicans 
in  their  intrenched  camp,  with  nearly  thirty  pieces  of  artillery 
planted,  ranging  in  calibre  from  six  to  sixteen-pounders,  had  a  fair 
sweep  at  our  advancing  columns;  while,  from  the  nature  of  the 
ground  over  which  our  troops  were  moving,  ("  a  vast  plain  of  broken 
volcanic  stone  and  lava,  rent  into  deep  chasms  and  fissures,  effectually 
preventing  any  advance  except  under  his  direct  fire," — Pillow's  Re 
port,)  it  was  impossible  to  bring  up  the  few  pieces  of  artillery,  ex 
cept  by  the  actual  and  laborious  transportation  effected  by  the 
soldiers ;  and  even  the  light  troops  advanced  with  great  difficulty. 
A  very  brief  notice  of  the  topography  of  the  region  will  give  some 
idea  of  the  relative  positions  of  the  contending  parties.  To  begin  at 
San  Augustin,  which  lies  from  the  capital  about  south  by  west, 
you  find  the  main  road  to  the  city  winding  north,  northeast,  north 
by  east  and  northwest,  that  is,  describing  a  sort  of  semicircle,  of  four 
or  five  miles  in  extent,  to  avoid  the  Pedregal,  the  right  of  which 
extends  to  the  road,  and  gives  it  its  form :  leaving  the  Pedregal,  the 
direction  is  nearly  due  north  to  the  city.  The  hacienda  of  San  An 
tonio  is  at  the  extreme  east  of  the  Pedregal,  and  about  north-north 
east  of  San  Augustin.  The  Pedregal  extends  thus  from  San  An 
tonio  northward  for  five  or  six  miles,  where  it  connects  with  the 


76  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

mountains.  It  lies  north,  a  little  way  to  the  east,  and  a  long  way 
to  the  west  of  San  Augustin,  while  Contreras  is  beyond  it,  bearing 
about  west-northwest  from  that  town.  The  Pedregal  is  impassable 
for  all  wheeled  vehicles,  though  there  are  some  winding  paths 
through  it,  which  may  be  traversed  afoot,  or  on  horseback.  Now 
the  Mexican  camp  at  Contreras  was  on  the  summit  of  a  lofty  hill, 
communicating  by  a  good  road,  which  passed  immediately  by  it, 
with  the  city,  through  San  Angel;  but  it  was  inaccessible,  appa 
rently,  from  the  side  of  the  Pedregal,  overlooking  the  last  completely  : 
there  was,  in  fact,  no  advance  except  under  the  direct  fire  from  it. 
The  site  was  chosen  with  great  judgment ;  for  it  was  but  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  the  natural  impediments  in  the  way  of  the  attacking 
army,  would  keep  it.  long  enough  exposed  to  the  pointblank  range 
from  the  camp,  to  cut  it  up  completely,  before  the  artillery  could 
be  got  in  place,  if  it  could  be  done  at  all,  or  before  small-arms  could 
be  made  available.  If  the  Mexicans  had  fought  as  well  as  they 
reasoned  in  the  case,  they  would  have  remained  masters  of  the  field. 
Their  fighting,  indeed,  was  unexceptionable  while  their  advantages 
served.  When  night  suspended  the  combat,  our  army  had  suffered 
seriously ;  the  enemy  little  or  none.  During  the  evening,  two  small 
batteries,  Captain  Magruder's  twelve-pounders,  and  Lieutenant  Cal- 
lender's  mountain-howitzers,  had  been  planted  in  front  of  Contreras, 
but,  attracting  the  fire  from  the  heavier  and  more  numerous  pieces 
of  the  enemy,  they  were  soon  disabled.  Lieutenant  Callender  was 
seriously  wounded,  Lieutenant  Johnstone  mortally,  and  many  of  the 
cannoneers  were  killed  at  their  guns.  General  Scott  was  on  the 
ground  until  the  darkness  made  his  presence  useless,  when  he  re 
turned  to  his  quarters,  but  not  to  rest,  in  San  Augustin.  As  the 
contest  waxed  hot  in  the  afternoon,  he  ordered  out  Shields'  brigade. 
At  a  moment's  warning,  all  hands  were  ready;  and  when  in  line,  the 
officers  of  the  Marine  regiment  had  the  mortification  to  learn  that 
they  were  to  remain,  while  the  New  Yorkers  and  South  Carolinians, 
both  already  covered  with  laurels,  were  to  join  in  the  strife.  At 
nightfall,  the  following  troops  were  on  the  field,  viz. :  the  2d,  or 
Twiggs'  division  of  regulars,  composed  of  Smith's  brigade  of  mounted 
rifles,  1st  artillery,  and  3d  infantry,  and  of  Riley's  brigade  of  4th 


ORIGADIER. GENERAL   GEORGE  CADWALAUER. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  77 

artillery,  2d  and  7th  infantry ;  the  3d,  or  Pillow's  division  of  regu 
lars,  (new  regiments,)  composed  of  Pierce's  brigade,  of  the  9th,  12th, 
and  15th  infantry;  and  Cad  walader's  brigade,  of  the  llth  and  14th 
infantry,  and  regiment  of  voltigeurs.  The  light  battery  of  Captain 
Magruder  of  1st  artillery,  and  the  mountain-howitzer  battery,  under 
Lieutenant  Callender  of  the  ordnance,  were  also  attached  to  Pillow's 
division,  but  were  temporarily  assigned  to  Twiggs.  Quitman's  divi 
sion  of  volunteers  was  represented,  as  stated  above,  by  General 
Shields,  with  two  regiments  of  his  brigade,  that  is,  the  New  York 
and  "  Palmetto"  regiments.  The  general  distribution  of  these  troops 
was  somewhat  as  follows,  viz.  :  the  batteries  were  planted  in  front 
of  the  enemy,  partially  covered  by  a  ledge  of  rocks.  General  Smith's 
brigade  was  to  support  them,  and  to  cover  the  advance  of  the  party 
making  the  road.  Riley' s  brigade  was  ordered  to  the  right,  to  get 
between  Contreras  and  any  forces  coming  from  the  direction  of  the 
city,  to  support  Valencia,  there  in  command.  As  large  bodies  of 
troops  made  their  appearance,  Cad  walader's  brigade  was  ordered  to 
get  to  the  rear  of  Contreras,  to  support  Riley  and  check  the  Mexican 
cavalry.  Pierce' s  brigade  covered  Smith's ;  and  Shields'  two  regi 
ments  were  ordered  out  to  the  support  of  Riley  and  Cadwalader. 
The  Mexican  forces  occupied  the  entrenched  camp,  flanked  by  large 
bodies  of  infantry  with  a  strong  cavalry  force  in  the  rear. 

The  hero  of  Contreras  may  tell  the  rest  of  the  story. 

"  Between  us,  (his  own  position  and  the  Mexican  batteries,)  was 
about  half  a  mile  of  lava  rocks,  almost  impassable  for  a  single  foot 
man,  then  a  slope  down  towards  a  ravine ;  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
which,  were  the  road  and  the  enemy's  works,  on  a  height  called  Con 
treras.  The  front  faced  us,  and  the  left  flank  swept  the  road  below 
it,  a  turn  forwards  in  the  road  bringing  the  work  directly  in  the 
prolongation  of  the  lower  part  of  the  road.  The  work  had  upwards 
of  twenty  large  guns,  was  full  of  infantry,  and  large  masses  of  in 
fantry  and  cavalry  were  behind  it,  and  on  its  flanks." 

He  then  went  to  the  support  of  the  batteries,  which  he  says 
were  soon  disabled,  Riley  at  the  same  time  going  to  the  right. 

"  On  examining  the  ground,  it  was  evident  we  were  advancing  by 
the  only  path  that  crossed  the  broken  bed  of  lava,  and  on  which  the 

7* 


78  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

enemy  were  prepared  to  receive  us,  having  cleared  away  all  the  bushes 
that  obstructed  their  view. 

"  The  guns  could  go  no  further,  and  the  infantry  would,  on  its 
march  down  the  slope,  be  exposed  to  a  terrible  fire,  without  knowing 
whether  crossing  the  ravine  below  was  possible.  Being  isolated 
from  the  division,  I  determined  to  try  one  of  the  enemy's  flanks ; 
and  that  on  our  right  being  preferable,  as  it  would  cut  off  his  re 
treat,  I  determined  to  move  in  that  direction.  Captain  Magruder 
was  directed  to  open  his  fire  as  we  passed  his  rear,  to  occupy  the 
enemy  and  mask  our  movements  to  the  right.  This  he  did  most 
effectually,  though  suffering  from  a  great  loss,  especially  of  officers." 

Leaving  Lieutenant  Haskins  and  twenty  men  of  Major  Dimick's 
regiment  to  supply  the  loss  in  a  measure,  and  a  supporting  party  of 
three  companies  of  the  3d  infantry,  General  Smith  moved  with  his 
brigade,  crossing  two  streams  and  deep  and  difficult  gullies,  to  the 
village  of  Encelda  (or  Contreras),  where  he  found  General  Cadwala- 
der  with  four  regiments  of  Pillow's  division.  Observing  large  bodies 
of  troops  coming  from  the  city,  General  Smith  prepared  to  meet 
them,  forming  the  three  brigades,  Cadwalader's,  Riley's,  which  ar 
rived  about  sunset,  and  his  own,  to  meet  them  "  formed  in  front, 
opposite  to  us  in  two  lines,  the  infantry  in  front,  and  cavalry  in  the 
rear,  about  ten  thousand  strong."  Smith  ordered  an  attack ;  but  it 
soon  became  so  dark  that  the  enemy's  line  could  not  be  seen,  and 
the  order  was  countermanded.  It  rained  heavily  all  night,  and  the 
troops  were  without  fire  or  shelter.  Lieutenant  Tower,  of  the  engi 
neers,  came  in  during  the  night,  and  reported  that  infantry  might, 
by  following  a  ravine  passing  between  the  village  and  the  main  road, 
get  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  works  at  the  intrenched  camp,  but 
that  it  would  be  very  difficult.  "  We  had  now  in  front  and  on  our 
left  flank,  eighteen  thousand  Mexicans,  with  between  twenty-five 
and  thirty  guns ;  among  the  troops,  six  or  seven  thousand  cavalry. 
We  were,  at  most,  three  thousand  three  hundred  strong,  and  without 
artillery  or  cavalry ;  and  it  was  evident  that  we  could  only  maintain 
our  position,  which  was  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  commanding 
General,  by  the  most  prompt  and  energetic  action.  I  therefore 
directed  an  attack  on  the  works  at  Contreras,  by  turning  their  rear 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  79 

before  day/'  Captain  Lee,  of  the  engineers,  undertook  the  bold 
and  difficult  task  of  returning  to  General  Scott,  to  give  him  infor 
mation  of  Smith's  proceedings,  and  to  ask  that  a  powerful  diversion 
be  made  against  the  centre  of  the  entrenched  camp  towards  morning. 
Captain  Lee  succeeded,  and  received  General  Scott's  thanks,  with 
the  highest  compliments. 

At  3  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  20th,  the  troops  left  their 
wet  bed,  and  in  the  densest  darkness  followed  up  the  ravine  under 
the  guidance  of  Lieutenants  Tower  and  Brooks,  through  mud  and 
over  rocks  until  daylight,  when  Riley's  and  Cadwalader's  brigades 
rushed  to  the  charge,  carrying  everything  before  them.  "  Riley's 
first  cleared  the  work  and  planted  their  colours  on  it."  Smith's 
brigade,  under  temporary  command  of  Major  Dimick,  was  on  the 
track  of  the  others,  but  "  when  nearly  opposite  the  work,  seeing  a 
large  body  of  the  enemy  on  its  left  flank,  I  ordered  Major  Dimick 
to  face  the  brigade  to  the  left,  and,  advancing  in  line,  to  attack  this 
force  in  flank.  This  was  done  in  the  finest  style,  and  the  1st  artil 
lery  and  3d  infantry,  mounting  the  bank  of  the  ravine,  rushing 
down  the  next  and  up  its  opposite  bank,  met  the  enemy  outside  of 
the  work,  just  as  Riley's  brigade  poured  into  it,  the  whole  giving 
way.  Cavalry  formed  in  line  for  the  charge,  yielding  to  the  bayonet 
of  our  foot,  the  rout  was  complete,  while  Riley's  brigade  cleared 
the  work,"  &c.  Colonel  Morgan's  regiment  (15th  infantry) 
had  been  ordered  on  the  evening  of  the  19th  by  General  Scott 
(through  General  Pillow,  to  whose  division  it  belonged)  to  the 
hamlet  of  Contreras,  to  check  the  reinforcements  coming  to  the 
enemy  from  the  city.  When  Shields  came  up  from  San  Augustin, 
General  Scott  ordered  him  to  the  support  of  Morgan.  Shields, 
with  his  New  York  and  Palmetto  regiments,  reached  the  village 
about  midnight,  but  finding  Smith  "had  made  the  most  judi 
cious  arrangement  for  turning  and  surprising  the  Mexican  position 
about  daybreak,  was  not  willing  to  interfere"  (Shields'  Report), 
though  the  senior  officer  in  the  village.  "  He  reserved  to  himself 
the  double  task  of  holding  the  hamlet  with  his  two  regiments 
against  ten  times  his  numbers  on  the  side  of  the  city,  including  the 
slopes  on  his  left,  and  in  case  the  camp  in  his  rear  should  be  car- 


80 

ried,  to  face  about  and  cut  off  the  flying  enemy."  (Scott.)  While 
Riley's  brigade,  conducted  by  Lieutenant  Tower,  of  the  engineers, 
and  Cadwalader's,  conducted  by  Lieutenants  Beauregard,  of  the  engi 
neers,  and  Brooks,  of  General  Twiggs'  staff,  were  attacking  on  one 
side,  under  General  Smith,  Colonel  Ransom,  with  his  own  (9th) 
regiment,  and  portions  of  the  3d,  12th,  and  Rifles,  conducted  by 
Captain  Lee,  from  the  side  opposite  the  Mexican  front  and  centre, 
"  made  the  movement  to  distract  and  divert  the  enemy ;  but,  after 
crossing  the  deep  ravine  in  his  front,  advanced  and  poured  into  the 
works,  and  upon  the  fugitives,  many  volleys  from  his  destructive 
musketry."  (Scott.) 

Upon  Smith's  leaving  the  village  with  his  temporary  division  for 
attacking  the  camp  from  the  rear,  Shields  very  skilfully  spread  out  his 
handful  of  men  (5  or  600)  over  the  ground  occupied  at  nightfall  by 
the  various  brigades  and  regiments  there  assembled.  He  had  fires 
made  at  daybreak,  as  though  the  men  were  preparing  their  break 
fasts.  The  Mexicans  in  camp  seeing  at  that  hour  a  force  descending 
upon  them,  and  no  apparent  diminution  of  troops  in  the  village, 
thought  the  Americans  had  received  considerable  reinforcements, 
which  added  greatly  to  their  confusion  and  alarm.  During  the  re 
treat,  Shields  fell  upon  them,  "  the  Palmetto  regiment,  crossing  a 
deep  ravine,  deployed  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  and  opened  a  most 
destructive  fire  upon  the  mingled  masses  of  infantry  and  cavalry ; 
and  the  New  York  regiment,  brought  into  line  lower  down  on  the 
roadside,  delivered  its  fire  with  like  effect.  At  this  point  many  of 
the  enemy  were  killed  and  wounded,  some  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  captured,  of  which  twenty-five  were  officers,  and  amongst  the 
latter  was  G-eneral  Nicolas  Mendoza."  (Shields.) 

Upon  the  capture  of  the  works  at  Contreras,  the  4th  regiment 
of  artillery  had  the  extreme  gratification  of  recovering  the  two  brass 
six-pounders  lost  by  them  at  Buena  Vista,  though  "  without  loss  of 
honour ;"  for  it  will  be  remembered  that  the  gallant  O'Brien  fought 
them  until  not  a  man  was  left  at  the  guns,  and  himself  crawled  away 
crippled,  after  contributing  so  greatly,  by  losing  his  guns,  to  saving 
the  day.  There  were  taken,  in  all,  "twenty-two  pieces  of  brass 
ordnance,  viz.,  four  Spanish  sixteen-pounders,  seven  hundred  pack 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  81 

mules,  and  many  horses,  and  an  immense  number  of  small  arms,  which 
we-  destroyed.  After  directing  the  prisoners  and  property  to  be  col 
lected,  I  directed  the  pursuit  to  be  continued,"  &c.  "  We  killed 
seven  hundred,  took  fifteen  hundred  prisoners,  among  them  several 
generals." 

Among  the  killed  on  our  side,  were  Captain  Hanson  of  the  7th 
infantry,  and  Lieutenant  Johnstone  of  Magruder's  battery,  both  of 
whom  were  highly  esteemed  officers. 

"  The  force  present  on  our  side  at  Contreras,  including  General 
Shields,  was  about  3650  men ;  that  of  the  enemy  about  the  works, 
7000,  under  Valencia,  and  in  their  reserve  12,000,  under  the  Presi 
dent,  Santa  Anna." 

Such  is  the  rather  extended  sketch  of  this  great  victory.  The 
quotations,  not  credited,  are  from  the  perspicuous  report  of  Brigadier- 
General  (now  Major-General)  Persifer  F.  Smith,  who  did  so  much 
on  that  occasion  for  his  own  and  his  country's  glory. 


LETTER  XIX. 

General  Worth  at  San  Antonio — General  Quitman  remains  at  San  Augustin 
— Duties  of  the  Surgeons — Battle  continues  (at  Churubusco) — Losses  of 
New  York  and  South  Carolina  Regiments — Petition  of  the  Marine  Officers 
— Fall  of  Churubusco — Merit  of  the  Army — Unity — National  Strength — 
Mexico  deficient  in  the  most  important  Elements  of  a  People,  and  there 
fore  essentially  Weak — Note — Some  Details  of  the  Battle  of  Churubusco. 

San  Augustin,  Valley  of  Mexico,  August. 

WHEN  it  was  known  that  Contreras  was  taken,  the  Marines  and 
2d  Pennsylvanians  returned  to  this  place,  while  the  victorious 
divisions  of  Pillow  and  Twiggs,  and  Shields'  brigade,  continued  in 
pursuit  of  the  enemy.  The  brigade  detached  from  Worth's  com 
mand,  like  ourselves,  reached  the  ground  after  the  conflict  was  over, 
and  returned  to  the  body  of  the  division  before  San  Antonio.  In 


82  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

the  mean  time  Worth  had  been  by  no  means  idle ;  he  was  left  with 
his  single  division  to  take  San  Antonio  with  its  strong  garrison. 
It  was  very  difficult  of  access,  for  he  had  to  approach  by  the  open 
road,  to  be  enfiladed  by  the  batteries  from  the  fortification,  or  turn, 
on  the  one  hand  over  the  Pedregal,  or  on  the  other  over  a  low, 
swampy  plain,,  intersected  by  ditches.  He  sent  a  brigade  (Clarke's) 
to  cross  the  head  of  the  Pedregal,  while  the  other  (Garland's)  he 
ordered  to  attack  by  the  road,  when  the  former  was  ascertained  to 
be  in  position  for  turning  the  works,  attacking  in  the  rear,  and 
cutting  off  the  enemy's  retreat.  His  success  proved  the  judicious 
ness  of  his  arrangements ;  and  after  news  reached  the  Mexicans  of 
Valencia's  defeat  at  Contreras,  the  contest  was  soon  decided.  Worth 
captured  a  number  of  pieces  of  artillery,  inter  alia,  and,  what  was 
more  important,  large  supplies  of  ammunition,  desirable  in  the  ex 
treme  to  our  army,  whose  supply  was  comparatively  very  limited,  at 
the  same  time  that  we  had  the  advantage  of  finding  it  exactly  where 
most  wanted,  thus  saving  the  labour,  expense,  and  risk  of  trans 
portation. 

Our  portion  of  Quitnaan's  division,  which  had  been  temporarily 
relieved  by  Harney's  dragoon  brigade,  remained  in  charge  of  priso 
ners,  stores,  &c.,  during  the  continuance  of  the  bloody  fight,  which 
continued  from  Contreras  and  San  Antonio  to  the  fall  of  Churubusco. 
During  these  contests,  we  were  in  constant  expectation  of  an  attack 
for  the  capture  of  the  valuable  munitions  of  war  under  our  charge, 
the  recapture  of  prisoners,  &c.  In  the  afternoon,  a  squadron  of  our 
dragoons  had  a  brush  with  a  large  irregular  force,  some  two  miles 
distant  from  the  village.  We  were  ordered  out  to  the  support;  but 
the  enemy  fled,  and  dispersed  as  we  approached.  In  the  mean  time 
San  Augustin  was  becoming  a  grand  hospital.  The  surgeons,  following 
the  movements  of  the  army,  did  all  that  men  could  do  in  the  field 
for  the  wounded — night  and  day,  without  shelter,  in  sun  and  rain, 
they  gave  their  devoted  attentions.  After  the  first  temporary  dress 
ings,  they  sent  their  wounded  to  the  various  establishments  con 
verted  for  the  time  into  hospitals. 

An  incessant  roar  of  artillery,  and  rattling  volleys  of  small  arms, 
gave  us  constant  tidings  of  the  work  going  on  during  the  20th  of 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  83 

August ;  but  how  the  tide  of  battle  was  running,  we  knew  not :  we 
augured  well,  however,  of  the  present  and  future,  from  the  past. 
The  troops  in  reserve  were  fretting  and  fuming  that  they  were  not 
allowed  to  participate  in  the  bloody  strife ;  for,  fearful  as  are  the 
horrors  of  war  and  the  details  of  the  battle-field,  he  has  no  soldier's 
heart  who  can  hear  the  clang  of  arms,  and  look  upon  the  wreathing 
smoke  as  it  ascends  from  the  scene  of  slaughter,  where  his  com 
patriots  are  battling  and  shedding  their  life's  blood,  without  wishing 
to  share  at  once  their  dangers  and  their  triumphs.-  Occasional 
rumours  reached  us,  giving  uncertain  information  of  the  course  of 
events.  Among  others,  we  learned  that  the  South  Carolina  and 
New  York  regiments,  with  which  we  had  been  so  much  associated, 
had  each  lost,  during  the  day,  one-half  of  their  already  diminished 
numbers,  and  that  the  gallant  Colonel  Butler,  of  the  former,  who 
had  left  his  sick  bed  to  lead  his  regiment,  was  among  the  slain. 
They  are  noble  fellows,  those  "Palmettos" — as  brave  as  they  are 
polite  and  generous,  and  withal  possessed  of  a  vein  of  chivalry 
that  seems  to  belong  to  a  past  age.  The  rumours  proved  nearly 
correct;  both  of  these  gallant  regiments  suffered  severely,  both  in 
officers  and  men — the  Colonel  of  the  one  killed,  the  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  severely  wounded,*  and  the  Colonel  (Burnett)  of  the  New 
Yorkers  wounded  also,  very  dangerously. 

So  great  was  the  anxiety  of  the  officers  of  Marines  to  take  part  in 
the  engagement  going  on,  that  they  drew  up  a  most  earnest  petition 
to  the  Commander-in-chief,  representing  their  peculiar  position,  how 
they  had  left  their  regular  line  of  service  to  participate  in  the  for 
tunes  of  the  army,  and  how  deeply  they  felt  being  left  in  a  position 
of  inactivity  during  scenes  so  exciting.  Colonel  Watson  called  on 
General  Quitman  in  relation  to  it ;  but  from  the  conference  with 
that  officer,  who  was  lamenting  the  necessity  that  kept  him  also  in 
the  background,  he  was  deterred  from  sending  the  petition.  Gene 
ral  Quitman  thought  there  was  yet  much  to  be  done,  and  that  he 
would  be  enabled  to  give  his  division  an  opportunity  to  win  soldiers' 
laurels,  or  soldiers'  graves.  The  Marines  consequently  continued  in 
the  discharge  of  the  duty  assigned  them. 

*  The  brave  Lieutenant-Colonel  Dickinson ;  his  wound  proved  mortal, 


84  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

The  battle  continued  to  rage  until  Churubusco  shared  the  fate  of 
Contreras  and  San  Antonio.  Our  people  fought  like  lions,  braving 
danger  at  the  very  cannon's  mouth.  Our  entire  army,  under  its 
immortal  chief,  was  in  at  the  death,  except  the  fragment  of  it  re 
maining  here ;  and  none  can  say  which  portion  fought  best.  There 
stood,  side  by  side,  regulars  and  volunteers,  new  regiments  and  old, 
all  daring  everything,  accomplishing  everything.  The  conduct  of 
the  old  army  is  an  imperishable  eulogy  on  the  system  of  military 
education  given  to  the  officers  at  the  sterling  school,  so  justly  prized 
and  cherished  by  the  nation ;  the  conduct  of  the  new  troops  proves 
that  our  great  country  bears  in  its  bosom  the  natural  materiel  for 
war,  as  abundantly  as  for  the  prosperous  arts  of  peace.  One  great 
secret,  undoubtedly,  of  our  success,  is  owing  to  the  unity  of  feeling 
that  pervades  the  army.  We  are  but  a  handful  here,  far  from  home, 
and  surrounded  by  thousands,  ay,  millions  of  enemies.  Defeat  is 
annihilation ; — we  may  therefore  die,  arms  in  hands,  but  we  must 
not  be  defeated.  The  question  is  equally  of  life  and  death,  as  of 
honour  and  glory ;  and  victory  is  the  only  road  to  self-preservation. 
Here  we  are,  from  all  quarters  of  our  glorious  Union,  acting  in  the 
same  concert  as  if  all  were  the  children  of  one  state,  or  one  family. 
May  the  Ruler  of  nations  grant  that  it  be  ever  so  with  our  beloved 
country ;  that  wisdom  and  harmony  govern  her  councils ;  and  we 
have  nothing  to  fear  from  any  human  power.  In  my  travels,  which 
you  know  have  been  somewhat  extended,  never  have  I  seen  the 
peace,  happiness,  and  prosperity  that  rests  upon  the  soil  of  our  great 
republic.  Would  to  Grod  every  man,  woman,  and  child  nurtured  in 
its  bosom  could  see  and  know  the  difference  between  their  own 
favoured  condition  and  that  of  those  not  enlightened  by  the  broad, 
diffusive  beams  of  universal  education,  nor  cheered  by  the  blessings 
of  civil  liberty  !  The  blighting  spirit  of  discord  could  then  never 
find  a  resting-place  among  a  people  knowing,  by  comparison,  their 
strength  and  their  happiness. 

In  this  country,  Mexico,  so  far  as  my  observation  goes,  there  is 
wanting  the  first  element  of  national  greatness,  i.  e.  a  people.  What 
matters  it  that  a  population  of  seven  or  nine  millions  of  human 
beings  occupy  the  same  soil,  if  between  them  there  is  no  harmony, 

t 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  85 

no  fellowship  ?  Such  is  the  condition  of  things  here — aristocracy 
and  dregs — the  sturdy  middle  class,  the  bone  and  sinew,  ay,  the 
vital  element,  exists  not  here.  The  most  important  link  in  the  social 
chain  is  wanting  or  defective;  the  NATION'S  HEART,  for  I  may  term 
it  so,  scarcely  throbs.  What  marvel,  then,  that  the  body  is  puny 
and  sickly  ? 


NOTE. — The  20th  day  of  August,  1847,  stands  upon  the  annals 
of  our  history,  marked  by  a  victory,  or  a  series  of  victories,  as  bril 
liant  as  any  known  in  the  records  of  wars.  The  Mexican  forces 
averaged  with  the  Americans  as  three  to  one ;  at  San  Antonio,  Con- 
treras,  Churubusco,  (the  church,  and  the  Tete  du  pont,  or  bridge 
head,)  they  had  strong  fortifications,  exceedingly  difficult  of  approach; 
with  heavy  batteries  mounted,  with  sufficient  skill  to  make  good  use 
of  them  ;  they  fought  in  sight  of  their  large  and  beautiful  capital ; 
on  their  own  plains,  surrounded  by  their  altars,  their  homes,  and 
their  families ;  with  the  greatest  advantages,  natural  and  artificial, 
and  with  all  incentives  to  a  glorious  defence ;  yet,  with  not  enough 
to  repel  a  handful  of  bold  invaders,  or  to  save  themselves  from  an 
overwhelming  defeat. 

General  Scott,  in  his  report  of  the  "  Battle  of  Mexico,"  divides 
this  great  victory  into  five  brilliant  parts,  as  follows,  viz.  :  the  first, 
the  taking  of  Contreras ;  from  which  the  victors  passed  on,  one  por 
tion  under  Twiggs,  to  the  attack  on  Churubusco,  the  other,  under 
Pillow,  to  the  assistance  of  Worth,  at  San  Antonio  :  before  reach 
ing  that  point,  however,  Worth  had  turned  and  captured  the  fortifi 
cation,  making  the  second  great  act  of  the  drama,  and  was  on  his 
way,  in  pursuit  of  the  retreating  enemy,  to  the  important  defences 
at  Churubusco.  On  the  road  directly  before  him,  lay  the  formidable 
Tete  du  pont,  or  head  of  the  bridge  crossing  the  Rio  Churubusco, 
where  there  was  a  "  strong  field-work  with  regular  bastions  and 
curtains,"  surrounded  by  a  deep  wet  ditch.  While  Worth's  division 
and  a  portion  of  Pillow's  were  attacking  the  Tete  du  pont,  the  battle 
was  raging  at  two  other  points ;  that  is,  at  the  church  or  convent  of 
San  Pablo,  and  on  the  main  road  to  the  city  beyond  the  bridge. 

8 


OK 

When  the  body  of  the  army  from  Contreras  reached  Coyoacan,  a 
village  some  two  miles  from  San  Antonio,  and  one  from  Churubusco, 
the  Commander-in-chief  made  the  following  disposition  of  his  forces. 
By  a  road  leading  to  the  former,  he  directed  General  Pillow  to  pro 
ceed  with  Cadwalader's  brigade  to  attack  that  place  in  the  rear,  and 
to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  enemy ;  by  the  road  to  the  hamlet  of 
Churubusco,  on  the  side  of  the  fortified  church,  he  sent  Twiggs  with 
his  division,  preceded  by  Lieutenants  Stevens  and  Smith  of  the 
engineers,  with  a  company  of  sappers  and  miners,  and  accompanied 
by  Captain  Taylor's  field  battery,  to  attack  the  convent,  beyond  which 
the  road  debouched  at  the  bridgehead,  some  two  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  distant.  The  two  roads  just  indicated,  with  one  leading  direct 
(the  main  road)  from  San  Antonio  through  the  hamlet,  and  by  the 
church  to  the  bridge,  (continuing  on  to  the  city,)  made  an  irregular 
triangle,  of  which  Coyoacan  was  at  one  angle,  San  Antonio  at  an 
other,  and  the  works  of  Churubusco  at  the  third.  While  Pillow  and 
Twiggs  were  pursuing  their  respective  courses,  the  General-in-chief 
sent  first,  General  Pierce  with  his  brigade,  and  shortly  after,  Shields 
with  his,  by  a  road  indicated  by  Captain  Lee,  to  the  left  of  that 
taken  by  Twiggs,  "  to  attack  the  enemy's  right  and  rear,  in  order 
to  favour  the  movement  upon  the  convent,  and  to  cut  off  the  re 
treat  towards  the  capital."  The  third,  fourth,  and  fifth,  "  brilliant 
events"  of  the  day,  then,  were  successively,  the  taking  of  the  bridge 
head  by  Worth's  division,  and  Cadwalader's  brigade  of  Pillow's ; 
the  taking  of  the  church  by  Twiggs'  division;  and  Shields'  victory, 
with  his  temporary  division  of  Pierce' s  brigade  of  Pillow's,  his  own 
brigade  of  South  Carolinians  and  New  Yorkers,  and  Twiggs'  reserve 
under  Major  Sumner,  of  the  Rifles,  and  Sibley's  company  of  dragoons, 
over  a  force  of  four  thousand  infantry,  and  three  thousand  cavalry. 
It  should  have  been  mentioned  that  Pillow,  finding  Worth  had 
carried  San  Antonio,  did  not  proceed  to  that  place,  but  under  in 
structions  from  the  Commander-in-chief,  leaving  the  road,  "  imme 
diately  turned  to  the  left,  and,  though  much  impeded  by  ditches  and 
swamps,  hastened  to  the  attack  of  Churubusco."  After  the  works 
were  taken  at  the  bridgehead,  Pillow  and  Worth  pursued  the  retreat 
ing  enemy  on  the  main  road,  where  they  fell  in  with  Shields,  who 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  87 

had  completed  his  achievement.  A  spirited  chase  was  kept  up,  for 
some  miles,  led  by  Kearney's  company  of  Harney's  dragoons,  the 
brigade  having  been  ordered  up  by  General  Scott  before  he  left 
Coyoacan.  Kearney  heard  not,  or  heeded  not,  the  recall  when 
sounded,  and  charged,  with  the  squadron,  to  the  defences  at  the  gate 
of  the  city,  where  he  was  severely  wounded,  (losing  his  left  arm,)  as 
were  many  of  the  officers  and  men  with  him. 

The  whole  remaining  force  of  the  Mexican  army,  of  all  arms, 
amounting  to  about  27,000  men,  was  assembled  at  Churubusco  "  in, 
on  the  flanks,  or  within  supporting  distance  of  the  works,"  while 
the  American  army  at  that  point,  (deducting  the  reserve  at  San 
Augustin,  the  troops  left  in  charge  at  Contreras,  sick,  wounded,  &c.,) 
amounted  only  to  between  eight  and  nine  thousand. 

The  general  results  of  the  day  are  thus  stated  in  the  report  of  the 
Commander-in-chief.  "  It  (our  army)  has  in  a  single  day  in  many 
battles  defeated  32,000  men ;  made  about  3000  prisoners,  including 
eight  generals,  (two  of  them,  ex-presidents,)  and  205  other  officers ; 
killed  or  wounded  4000  of  all  ranks — besides  entire  corps  dispersed 
and  dissolved — captured  37  pieces  of  ordnance — more  than  trebling 
our  field  train  and  siege  batteries — with  a  large  number  of  small- 
arms,  a  full  supply  of  ammunition  of  every  kind,  &c.,  &c. 

"These  great  results  have  overwhelmed  the  enemy.  Our  loss 
amounts  to  1053  ;  (killed,  139,  including  16  officers ;  wounded,  876, 
with  60  officers.)  The  greater  number  of  the  dead  and  disabled 
were  of  the  highest  worth.  Those  under  treatment,  thanks  to  our 
very  able  medical  officers,  are  generally  doing  well." 

The  party  left  under  General  Quitman,  at  San  Augustin,  is  noticed 
in  the  same  report  as  follows  : — 

"I  regret  having  been  obliged,  on  the  20th,  to  leave  Major-Gene 
ral  Quitman,  an  able  commander,  with  a  part  of  his  division — the 
fine  2d  Pennsylvania  volunteers,  and  the  veteran  detachment  of 
United  States  Marines — at  our  important  depot,  San  Augustin.  It 
was  there  that  I  placed  our  sick  and  wounded,  the  siege,  supply  and 
baggage  trains.  If  these  had  been  lost,  the  army  would  have  been 
driven  almost  to  despair;  and  considering  the  enemy's  very  great 


88  EL  PUCHEKO,  OR 

excess  of  numbers,  and  the  many  approaches  to  the  depot,  it  might 
well  have  become  emphatically,  the  post  of  honour." 

In  a  sketch  like  the  above,  it  cannot  be  expected  that  justice 
should  be  done  the  respective  divisions,  brigades,  and  regiments, 
much  less  to  individuals  concerned,  distinguished  on  that  remarkable 
day — the  only  aim  of  the  author  of  the  Letters  has  been  to  give  some 
general  information,  accurate,  so  far  as  it  goes,  because  drawn  from 
the  best  sources,  of  the  current  and  permanent  events  of  that  im 
portant  part  of  the  war.  He  will,  in  an  appendix,  give  the  names  of 
such  officers  as  distinguished  themselves,  with  a  notice  of  the  honours 
bestowed  upon  them  by  the  government.  He  does  not  doubt  but 
that  some  one,  more  competent  than  himself,  will  one  day  give,  what 
is  very  desirable,  a  complete  military  history  of  the  war. 


LETTER  XX. 

Army  restrained  from  entering  the  City — Increased  means  of  Offence — A 
Truce — (The  Armistice) — The  Sick — Rumours — Conversations  with  Citi 
zens — Their  Character  and  Condition — No  respectable  Villagers — A  Mexi 
can  Household — A  kind  Lady — Death  of  an  Officer. 

San  Augustin,  Valley  of  Mexico,  August,  1847. 

THE  troops,  though  much  fatigued  with  their  labours,  watchings, 
and  fastings,  on  the  evening  of  the  20th  might  no  doubt  have  car 
ried  the  defences  at  the  garitas  (city  gates)  with  ease,  and  entered 
the  capital  in  triumph ;  but  Mr.  Trist,  United  States  Commissioner, 
and  General  Scott,  thought  a  peace  could  be  concluded  the  more 
readily  for  not  inflicting  that  additional  humiliation  upon  the  Mexi 
can  people.  Notwithstanding  our  loss  of  men,  which,  though  small 
comparatively,  is  very  considerable,  the  large  number  of  heavy 
pieces  of  ordnance  and  the  immense  supplies  of  ammunition  taken 
at  the  various  points  of  defence,  have  afforded  us  some  material 
advantages  for  siege  or  bombardment ;  besides  taking  so  much  from 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  89 

the  efficiency  of  the  enemy.  When  fully  expecting  to  enter  the 
city  at  once,  it  was  announced  to  the  army  that  a  treaty  was  pending 
for  peace,  during  which  time  there  would  be  a  suspension  of  hosti 
lities  :  in  consequence,  we  are  now  lying  idle.  The  commanding 
General  is  at  Tacubaya,  a  suburban  village  two  or  three  miles  from 
the  capital ;  Mr.  Trist  is  with  him ;  and  General  Worth  with  his 
division  is  quartered  there.  The  remaining  divisions  of  the  army 
are  quartered  in  other  pretty  and  pleasant  villages  between  this  and 
Tacubaya.  I  should  not  have  said  we  were  idle — our  corps  is 
fully  engaged.  We  have  not  only  a  large  number  of  wounded 
in  the  hospitals,  but  the  great  exposure  of  the  men  at  the  time 
of  the  battles  had  its  influence,  though  not  felt  immediately. 
A  great  many  persons,  officers  and  men,  were  out  night  and  day, 
without  provisions,  blankets,  or  shelter ;  and  though  they  bore  the 
vicissitudes  of  the  weather,  the  midday  sun  and  the  midnight 
shower,  with  apparent  immunity,  the  effects  are  felt  now  that  the 
excitement  is  over.  There  are  enough  of  such  diseases  as  are  inci 
dent  to  camps  to  keep  the  surgeons  employed,  even  if  there  were 
no  wounded.  These  are  contingencies  of  war  that  are  not  often  set 
down  in  the  reckoning,  though  they  should  be  always.  Many  a 
valuable  life  is  sacrificed,  and  many  more  constitutions  broken  in 
war,  besides  those  given  up  on  the  battle.-field. 

The  armistice,  let  it  result  as  it  may,  gives  us  a  little  breathing 
time,  and  some  opportunities  of  looking  around  us.  It  is  tantalizing, 
indeed,  to  look  upon  the  great  city  in  the  distance  which  we  may 
never  enter ;  but  a  general  impression  is  abroad  in  the  army,  of  Punic 
faith  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  and  that  there  will  be  no  peace  until 
the  capital  is  in  our  possession.  We  have  daily,  almost  hourly, 
flying  reports,  of  what  is  to  be  done; — one  day,  peace  is  certain,  and 
we  return  shortly  to  our  homes — the  next  day,  or  hour,  informs  us 
that,  hopeless  of  peace,  General  Scott  is  about  to  make  immediate 
arrangements  for  an  active  bombardment.  These  conflicting  rumours 
keep  up  a  perpetual  suspense ;  but  there  are  few  besides  the  commis 
sioner,  who  would  not  rather  take  up  arms  again,  than  leave  without 
entering  the  capital.  Our  people  are  not  willing  now  to  turn  their 
backs  on  the  "  halls  of  the  Montezumas,"  without  the  revel  for 

8* 


90  EL  PUCHERO,  OK 

which  they  have  toiled  and  fought  so  hard.  My  host,  that  is,  the 
person  whose  house  gives  me  present  shelter,  is  a  very  respectable 
and  intelligent  old  gentleman,  from  the  city.  He  informs  me  that 
there  all  the  better  people  desire  peace,  almost  on  any  terms ;  that 
the  common  people  are  too  ignorant  to  have  an  opinion  (worth  the 
name)  about  it,  but  that  they  are  essentially  pacific;  and  that  the 
war  men  are  adventurers  and  employes  of  the  government,  or  of 
factions,  having  nothing  to  lose,  and  who  can  only  hope,  like  scum, 
to  keep  on  the  surface  during  commotion. 

Circumstances  have  thrown  me  considerably  into  the  society  of 
residents  here,  and  among  the  better  classes  I  find  a  high  degree  of 
intelligence,  refinement,  and  good  breeding — in  this  village  we 
found  a  large  proportion  of  well-dressed  and  educated  people ;  they, 
however,  are  from  the  city,  and  came  out  as  to  a  place  of  refuge, 
supposing  themselves  safe  from  witnessing  the  horrors  of  war. 
They  found  themselves,  however  in  the  midst,  at  different  times,  of 
both  armies ;  first,  the  Mexican,  which  moved  here  to  meet  us, 
when  it  was  discovered  that  we  were  taking  this  route ;  and  then 
ours  occupying  the  town  as  they  vacated  it.  Coming  here  was  a 
sad  mistake,  for  between  Santa  Anna's  levies,  and  the  approach  of 
our  army,  supplies  were  cut  off  from  the  citizens,  and  some  of  them 
before  the  armistice  went  into  operation,  were  likely  to  die  of  starva 
tion.  Some  persons,  apparently  in  good  circumstances,  applied  to 
myself  and  others,  for  fragments  of  the  hard,  dry  bread  used  in  the 
army,  for  the  nourishment  of  their  families. 

None  of  the  upper  ten  reside  in  villages,  or  small  towns.  My  first 
impression  on  reaching  this  place  was  that  it  was  well  supplied  with 
gentry,  but  I  soon  learned  that  the  greater  portion  were  mere  visiters, 
fled  temporarily  from  the  city,  while  others  have  their  casas  de  campo 
(country-seats)  here,  to  which  they  repair  for  a  season  every  year. 
The  villages  have  no  residents  pretending  to  social  rank ;  the  padre, 
or  curate,  and  the  alcalde,  who  is  generally  a  small  shop-keeper,  are 
the  most  important  personages.  The  remaining  inhabitants  are 
principally  mestizos,  in  whom  the  aboriginal  traits  preponderate 
greatly. 

A  little  politeness  on  my  part,  together  with  my  lame  Spanish, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  91 

soon  put  me  on  a  friendly  footing  with  the  proprietor  of  this  house, 
and  his  family,  that  is,  the  male  portion  of  it.  The  old  gentleman, 
though  a  native  of  this  country,  was  educated  in  Spain,  married 
there,  and  held  a  colonel's  commission  in  the  Spanish  army  during 
the  Peninsular  war.  He  there  saw  active  service  under  his  personal 
friend  Espartero,  and  acquired  that  knowledge  which  marks  and 
distinguishes  the  man  of  the  world.  He  was  wounded  at  length  in 
a  charge  of  cavalry,  trodden  down  by  a  troop  of  horse,  taken  priso 
ner  by  the  French,  and  detained  to  the  end  of  the  war.  His  suffer 
ings  brought  on  a  disease  of  the  chest,  which  obliged  him  to  return 
to  his  native  country ;  though  he  was  called  at  the  same  time  by 
another  motive,  to  prevent  the  threatened  confiscation  of  his  Mexi 
can  estates.  He  has  about  him  here  all  the  appendages  of  wealth ; 
that  is,  beautiful  grounds,  highly  ornamented,  coaches,  horses,  mules, 
servants,  &c.,  &c.  His  two  sons,  with  their  wives,  young  and  hand 
some  women,  and  their  sweet,  bright,  and  ruddy  children ;  a  niece, 
a  soltera  (spinster),  as  fair  as  the  morning,  and  a  nephew,  her  bro 
ther,  constitute  his  present  family.  They  looked  upon  my  entering 
the  house,  as  a  disagreeable  intrusion  which  had  to  be  endured,  but 
finding  I  spoke  their  language,  and  that  I  carefully  abstained  from 
intruding  upon  their  privacy,  they  soon  became  sociable,  and  then 
intimate.  They  authorized  me  to  invite  any  of  my  friends  to  take 
apartments  in  their  spacious  house,  upon  which  I  brought  three 
reliable  gentlemen,  who  with  myself,  constituted  a  mess.  They 
treated  us  with  all  politeness,  except  introducing  us  to  the  ladies ; 
that,  however,  we  could  not  but  pardon,  as  we  were  such  entire 
strangers ;  bearded  worse  than  the  pard  (for  few  used  the  razor 
on  the  march),  and  dressed  as  people  might  be,  whose  scanty  ward 
robe  had  been  soaked  with  water,  saturated  with  dust,  and  rolled 
in  the  mud,  times  and  again.  But  woman  is  woman  the,  world 
over.  A  young  officer  of  Marines  was  brought  to  the  house,  ill, 
dying ;  the  "  ministering  angel"  saw  not  her  country's  enemy,  but 
a  suffering  brother  far  from  home  and  friends;  she  felt  for  the 
young  and  hapless  wanderer ;  for  the  fond  mother,  who  knew  not 
her  impending  loss ;  for  the  tender  sister,  who  looked  with  feelings, 
perhaps  of  exultation  and  pride,  to  the  joyful  day  of  her  brother's 


92  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

return;  she  saw  the  tears  of  their  disappointment  and  grief;  and 
she,  a  highborn  and  lovely  Mexican  woman,  prepared  with  her  own 
hands  such  little  delicacies  as  only  the  skilful  hand  of  gentle  woman 
can  make  acceptable  to  the  perverted  palate  of  the  victim  of  disease. 
I  had  heard  much  of  the  kind-heartedness  of  Mexican  women — here 
was  a  practical  proof;  and  the  lady's  frequent  application  to  me  to 
know  what  she  could  do,  and  what  would  be  suitable,  exposed  the 
deep  sensibility  of  her  feeling  heart.  The  youth  died ;  and  though 
far  away  from  those  who  loved  him  best,  he  had  at  least  the  gentle 
ministering  of  this  kind  family ;  and  soldiers'  tears  accompanied  the 
volleys  that  were  fired  over  his  grave. 


LETTER  XXI. 

Return  Home  of  the  City  Folk — Diligencias — Captured  Deserters — A  Mexi 
can  Country  Town — Residences  (Casas  de  Campo] — Gardens — Fruits — 
Gamblers'  Festival — Colonel  Watson,  Military  Governor. 

WHEN  the  armistice  went  into  effect,  nearly  all  the  good  folks 
from  the  city  repaired  to  their  homes ;  the  village  was  enlivened  by 
dozens  of  diligenciasy  that  is,  the  regular  stage-coaches  of  our  States, 
reminding  one  much  of  home,  and  differing  only  in  the  teams,  which 
are  here  of  six  mules,  four  leaders  abreast.  There  was  a  general 
breakup,  leaving  only  the  permanent  residents,  a  poor  set,  our 
division,  and  the  prisoners  of  war.  Among  the  latter  are  some  forty 
deserters,  who  fought  desperately  at  Churubusco  and  elsewhere, 
under  Major  Riley,  who  deserted  from  our  army  about  the  beginning 
of  the  war.  He  expects  to  be  hung,  but  denies  the  justice  of  it,  as 
he  calls  himself  a  British  subject.  Our  kind  friends  left  with  the 
rest,  inviting  us  to  their  home  in  case  of  ever  reaching  the  city.  The 
place  of  their  residence  is  somewhat  remarkable — Calle  del  Puente 
de  Jesus  (Jesus  Bridge  Street).  While  here,  they  showed  their 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  93 

good-will  by  bringing  us  many  little  luxuries  money  could  not  pro 
cure,  from  their  own  stores — invited  us  at  times  to  their  table,  which 
was  set  with  Gralicia  ham,  cakes,  the  neverfailing  dulces  (sweet 
meats),  chocolate,  wines,  &c.     We  had  nothing  to  offer  in  return 
but  a  little  civility. — I  mentioned  that  this  might  be  considered  a 
very  pretty  village,  and  will  give  a  slight  description  of  it,  as  it 
may  answer  as  a  general  type  of  most  places  of  its  class.     It  has 
then,  first,  its  plaza,  or  square,  in  the  centre,  with  a  large  church 
and  enclosure  on  the  east  side,  a  large  fonda  with  its  portales,  and 
some  private  mansions  on  the  north;  pulquerias,  tiendas  (shops), 
&c.,  on  the  west  and  south  sides.     The  whole  is  about  400  feet 
square.     Beautiful  shade-trees  are  set  uniformly  through  it,  so  that 
it  is  a  pleasant  walk,  even  during  the  heat  of  summer.     The  streets 
are  rectangular,  and  there  are  many  handsome  houses,  generally  of 
one  story,  and  never  over  two.     They  are  of  stone,  plastered,  white 
or  light-coloured,  with  flat  roofs  and  parapets ;  large  windows  open 
ing  to  the  floor,  having  iron  balconies  in  front  on  the  second  floor, 
or  a  close  grating  on  the  lower — a  necessary  precaution  against  the 
various  classes  who  have  not  a  proper  regard  for  the  tenth  com 
mandment.     The  outside  rarely  gives  an  idea  of  what  is  within, — 
not,  indeed,  that  the  houses  are  handsomely  furnished ;  on  the  con 
trary,  they  are  almost  bare;   but  of  the  courts,   gardens,  fruits, 
flowers,  and  fountains,  which  are  universal.     The  house  we  occupy 
may  be  taken  as  a  specimen  of  the  whole.     The  entrance  is  by  a 
porte-cochere  from  the  street.     As  the  house  is  quadrangular,  you 
find  yourself  in  a  clean  square  court,  well  paved  with  smooth  flag 
stones  ;  in  the  middle  of  the  court  is  a  fountain,  garnished  with 
vases  of  growing  flowers.     Four  well-trimmed  orange  trees  adorn 
the  angles.     Within,  the  rooms  all  communicate  with  each,  other  by 
doors ;  there  are  no  passages,  but  on  the  sides  presenting  to  the  court 
are  covered  balconies,  communicating  with  some  of  the  rooms.     One 
of  the  peculiarities  of  the  houses,  and  a  very  awkward  one,  is  that 
of  passing  through  a  suite  of  rooms  to  get  at  those  towards  the  re 
mote  end.     It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  you  pass  through  the 
family  bed-chambers  to  reach  the  parlour.    In  the  best  houses,  how 
ever,  the  difliculty  is  corrected  generally  by  piazzas  or  balconies,  as 


94  EL  PUCHEEO,  OR 

in  this  case.  In  rear  and  to  the  right  of  the  dwelling  are  the  stables, 
coach-house,  and  other  outhouses.  Immediately  in  rear  of  the  house, 
and  extending,  indeed,  largely  on  both  sides,  is  a  noble  garden  of 
a  couple  of  acres,  teeming  with  fruits  and  flowers.  It  is  beautifully 
laid  off  in  squares,  is  adorned  with  summer-houses  and  sparkling 
fountains ;  a  great  variety  of  fruits  now  hang  on  the  trees.  There 
are  fine  apples,  peaches,  pomegranates,  alligator  pears,  mangoes, 
oranges,  &c.,  &c., — not,  however,  all  in  equal  perfection.  The 
oranges,  for  instance,  are  only  ornamental,  being  both  bitter  and 
sour;  all  that  are  good  in  the  market  come  from  the  tierras  calientes. 
Our  host  enjoined  it  upon  us  at  his  departure  to  use  all  the  fruits  of 
this  paradise  as  if  our  own ;  he  cautioned  us  against  the  oranges,  but 
we  tried  them  for  ourselves,  without  the  solicitations  of  any  curious 
Eve,  and  were  soon  satisfied.  An  old  gardener  and  his  family  hold 
the  place  divided  with  us.  The  house  itself  has  little  that  is  orna 
mental;  a  little  fresco  painting  adorns  the  walls  of  the  piazzas. 
Among  the  views  is  one  of  the  castle  of  Chapultepec,  a  powerful 
fortification,  built  by  the  Count  of  G-alves,  when  viceroy,  and  now 
used  as  a  military  school,  at  the  same  time  that  it  is  the  most  for 
midable  work  that  guards  any  of  the  entrances  to  the  city.  Our 
house  has  no  chimneys  nor  fire-places,  not  even  in  the  kitchen ;  the 
cooking  is  done  with  charcoal  fires,  on  ranges  of  small  furnaces,  built 
up  in  the  middle  of  the  floor. 

The  common  houses  are  built  of  adobes,  or  large  sun-dried  bricks, 
which  answer  very  well  in  this  climate,  and  look  well,  too,  when 
whitened.  All  the  fine  houses,  it  must  be  recollected,  are  the 
country-seats  of  people  of  wealth  from  the  city.  San  Augustin  is 
distinguished  for  its  fine  gardens,  but  more  for  an  annual  fiesta  of 
gambling,  when  all  classes  repair  here,  from  the  president  to  the 
squalid  lepero,  and  spend,  in  various  forms  of  gaming,  at  the  monte 
table,  cockpit,  &c.,  from  thousands  of  ounces  of  gold  and  large 
estates,  down  to  handfuls  of  miserable  coppers. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Watson,  the  estimable  commander  of  the 
Marines,  is  acting  military  governor  of  this  place — no  sinecure,  con 
sidering  it  devolves  on  him  to  sit  as  oidor,  or  judge,  in  the  endless 
disputes  between  the  residents  and  certain  restless  followers  of  the 
army. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  95 


LETTER   XXII. 

Variety  in  the  Army — Citizen  Followers — Their  patriotism — Armistice 
broken — War  resumed — Orders  to  march — History  promises  success — 
Adieu  to  San  Augustin. 

"  MISERY  makes  strange  bedfellows/'  and  war  strange  associa 
tions.  There  may  be  found  in  our  little  army  representatives  of 
every  profession,  trade,  and  calling,  practised  in  civilized  life.  The 
ranks  present  not  only  the  drainings  from  the  worthless  and  bad  of 
our  towns  and  villages,  which  may  be  expected,  but  also  persons 
well  to  do  in  the  world,  well-informed,  skilful  in  the  mechanic  arts, 
respectable  husbandmen,  doctors,  lawyers,  engineers,  merchants,  &c., 
some  of  whom  have  been  reduced  by  misfortune,  or  intemperance, 
while  others  assumed  their  position  from  mere  love  of  adventure. 
This  admixture  is  most  remarkable  among  the  volunteers,  many  of 
whom  gave  up  the  comforts  and  even  the  elegancies  of  civil  life,  for 
the  variety  and  novelty  of  a  distant  and  dangerous  campaign. 

The  army  followers  are  yet  more  varied :  thus  we  have  sutlers, 
and  their  stores ;  printers,  with  their  presses ;  editors,  reporters, 
players,  circus-riders,  with  their  fancy  horses ;  gamblers,  jobbers, 
speculators,  brokers,  and  certain  frail  but  daring  fair  ones,  damas 
cortesanas,  who  venture  to  face  the  dangers  of  war;  besides  a 
variety  of  nondescript  characters :  sailors  turned  teamsters ;  dis 
charged  soldiers,  proposing  to  be  landlords,  &c.,  &c., — so  that  even 
in  our  diminutive  army,  we  have  a  little  world ;  all  of  which  must 
be  considered  mere  miniature  of  the  immense  bodies  brought  into 
the  field  during  the  great  wars  of  nations  beyond  the  Atlantic.  We 
have  only  enough  with  us  to  give  the  idea  of  an  army,  that  is,  of  a 
vagrant  world.  It  is  but  just  to  say  that  many  of  the  citizens 
accompanying  the  army,  indeed  a  large  majority  of  them,  took  an 
active  part  during  the  battles  :  some  acted  on  the  staff  of  generals  and 
commanding  officers;  others  enrolled  themselves  under  Captain 
M'Kinstry,  of  the  quartermaster's  department,  and  did  good  service 


96  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

as  volunteer  cavalry — every  American,  indeed,  was  a  man  in  trying 
times ;  and  it  required  no  articles  of  enlistment  to  wield  the  sabre, 
or  shoulder  the  musket,  during  the  emergencies  of  the  battle-grounds. 
Our  time  has  been  passed  here  comfortably  in  some  respects,  but 
the  busy  tongue  of  Madame  Rumour  has  always  kept  up  a  restless 
gui  vive,  that  dispelled  easy  tranquillity.  We  are  at  once,  too  near 
the  capital,  and  too  far  from  it.  "We  are  in  the  paradoxical  condi 
tion  of  the  Irishman  who  is  never  at  peace,  except  when  fighting. 
Apparently,  there  is  something  now  brewing  which  will  bring  affairs 
to  a  crisis.  The  conditions  of  the  armistice  required,  inter  alia,  a 
free  exchange  of  supplies  between  city  and  country,  and  between  our 
army  and  citizens ;  and,  not  only  a  suspension  of  hostilities,  but  of 
all  offensive  and  defensive  works,  &c. ;  both  armies  were  to  remain 
precisely  in  statu  quo  ;  we  were  to  be  allowed  to  purchase,  on  fair 
terms,  the  necessary  provisions,  but  were  not  to  receive  reinforce 
ments,  (a  condition  binding  on  both,  of  course,)  during  the  session 
of  the  commissioners  to  adjust  a  treaty  of  peace.  An  infraction  was 
soon  made  by  the  Mexican  mob.  A  train  of  wagons  was  sent  to  the 
city  for  supplies :  the  teamsters  were  set  on,  stoned,  and  dreadfully 
maltreated  and  injured ;  but  the  mob  was  not  responsible,  and  the 
parties  in  power  disapproved,  or  pretended  to  disapprove  of  the 
attack,  and  there  it  seems  the  matter  dropped ;  but  a  more  serious 
infraction  has  since  come  to  light :  the  enemy  has  taken  advantage 
of  the  lull  to  prepare  defences,  collect  ammunition,  cast  guns,  &c. 
The  armistice,  of  course,  died  a  natural  death,  as  soon  as  these  facts 
became  known,  and  this  day,  (September  7th,)  an  express  came  from 
General  Scott  for  the  division  to  move  on  to  some  point  near  the 
city,  for  the  purpose  of  attack.  We  will  have  bloody  work,  doubt 
less  ;  but  the  troops  appear  to  be  anxious  for  it,  and  bent  on  entering 
the  city  :  they  are  full  of  hope  and  confidence ;  and  though  it  seems 
impossible  that  that  great  capital  should  fall  before  such  a  mere 
handful  yet  the  past,  promises  unbounded  success.  My  own  con 
victions  of  a  favourable  issue  have  been  much  strengthened  by  read 
ing  a  report  made  to  General  Jackson  by  a  commissioner  he  appointed 
for  inquiring  into  the  contest  between  Texas  and  this  country.  The 
superiority  of  the  Anglo-American  race  over  the  mongrel  breed  of 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  97 

Mexico,  is  there  set  forth  in  unmistakeable  characters — the  Ameri 
cans  beat  them  against  all  odds,  and  excelled  them  as  much  in  the 
art  of  war  as  in  the  arts  of  peace.  For  this  gratifying  information, 
I  am  indebted  to  the  Hon.  Waddy  Thompson's  interesting  "  Recol 
lections  of  Mexico/7  of  which  I  have  just  finished  a  hasty  perusal. 

To-morrow  morning,  the  volunteer  division  leaves  San  Augustin 
for  another  trial  of  prowess.  Though  anxious  to  move  onward,  I 
cannot  leave  without  some  regrets,  as  my  associations  here  are  agree 
able  ;  but  this  is  a  life  that  breaks  up  all  ties,  beginning  with  the 
nearest  and  dearest,  from  the  day  a  man  leaves  his  own  cherished 
fireside;  and  snapping  daily  the  feebler  cords,  made  by  transient 
fellowship  and  mutual  good-will.  The  vicissitudes  of  fortune,  how 
ever,  cannot  sever  the  invisible  chain  that  connects  one,  at  any  dis 
tance,  with  the  beloved  home  circle ;  nor  dispel  the  visions  of  hope, 
sweet  hope,  the  true  life-preserver,  that  buoys  us  up  against  the  tide 
of  adverse  fate,  until  we  are  called  to  settle  that  reckoning  to  which 
we  are  hurrying, — it  matters  not,  whether  by  the  battle-field,  or  on 
the  bed  of  down,  surrounded,  if  not  sustained,  by  all  known  conso 
lations. 


LETTER    XXIII. 

Female  Fidelity — Battle  of  Molino  del'Rey — Victory  dearly  bought — A  Bar 
barous  Enemy — Santa  Catalina — Fate  of  Deserters — San  Angel — A  Car 
melite  Convent — Mode  of  Confessing — Odd  Shots — Hard  Fare — Fruits  of 
Fair  Dealing — A  Night  March — Strategy — Broken  Slumbers — An  Acci 
dent — The  light  of  day  introduces  the  Castle  of  Chapultepec. 

ON  the  morning  of  the  8th,  our  division  resumed  the  march, 
escorting  a  large  train,  and  hundreds  of  prisoners.  A  set  of  volun 
tary  captives,  wives,  or  queridas,  accompanied  the  poor  fellows, 
ministering  to  their  wants  as  well  as  they  were  able.  They  were  for 

9 


98  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

the  most  part  bareheaded  and  barefoot,  with  garments  scant  enough 
to  show  their  limbs  and  busts  of  bronze,  laden,  some  with  infants, 
strapped  on  their  shoulders ;  others  with  such  scant  stores  as  they 
could  command,  for  their  husbands  or  themselves.  They  were  un 
interesting  enough,  except  as  displaying  the  beautiful  feminine  trait 
of  fidelity  in  misfortune. 

A  rapid  and  fierce  firing  of  artillery  and  small-arms  gave  us  notice 
that  we  were  approaching  the  scene  of  a  hot  engagement ;  but  by  the 
time  our  rear  reached  the  hacienda  of  San  Antonio,  the  contest  ap 
peared  to  be  decided.  A  glowing  account  soon  reached  us  of  a  battle 
won  at  Molino  del  Hey  (King's  Mill),  near  the  great  fortress  of 
Chapultepec ;  but  as  we  advanced,  the  pleasure  of  triumph  was 
shorn  by  the  accounts  of  our  heavy  losses.  Worth's  division  and  a 
portion  of  Pillow's  shared  the  laurels  and  the  cypress.  Dreadful 
havoc  had  been  made  in  the  very  flower  of  our  army ;  and  many  of 
our  bravest  and  best  lay  stretched  upon  the  battle-field.  American 
valour  had  triumphed,  and  the  victory  was  complete,  but  at  so  great 
a  sacrifice,  that  we  might  almost  say,  with  the  famous  king  of  Epirus, 
"  Another  such  would  be  fatal  to  us." 

During  a  temporary  repulse,  the  ignoble  hosts  of  the  enemy  sallied 
forth  from  their  shelter  to  slay  the  wounded  and  mutilate  the  dead, 
as  they  lay  where  they  had  fallen.  A  feeling  of  exasperation,  not 
unmixed  with  gloom,  took  possession  of  our  people  as  this  news 
reached  them ;  and  there  was  that  in  their  countenances  that  gave 
promise  of  more  than  avenging  retribution. 

We  passed  through  the  venerable  village  of  Coyoacan,  and  took 
quarters  in  the  hamlet  of  Santa  Catalina,  which  extends  by  straggling 
houses  along  the  roadside,  from  the  former  place  to  the  town  of 
San  Angel,  where  Twiggs'  division  was  quartered.  We  had  nothing 
to  do  but  await  the  results  of  the  reconnoisances  going  on  for 
future  operations.  Meantime  a  disposition  was  made  of  a  portion 
of  the  captured  deserters.  Sixteen  of  them  paid  the  forfeit  of  their 
lives  on  the  gallows,  at  the  same  moment,  between  this  place  and 
San  Angel,  about  half  a  mile  from  my  quarters.  They  had  deserted 
and  gone  over  to  the  enemy  during  the  war.  Others,  including 
Riley,  who  had  deserted  before  the  war,  had  the  letter  D  branded 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  99 

on  their  cheeks,  were  whipped,  are  to  be  kept  in  irons  until  the  war 
is  ended,  and  then  drummed  out  of  the  service.  And  all  this  was 
for  giving  up  substance  for  shadow :  they  were  lured  from  their  duty 
by  the  magnificent  promises  of  Santa  Anna,  bore  the  brunt  of  his 
battles,  were  poorly  paid,  and  finished  their  career  in  damning 
ignominy.  I  have  more  than  once  seen  the  circulars  of  the  crafty 
Mexican  distributed  by  the  roadside  where  our  army  was  to  pass, 
proposing  the  most  tempting  offers  to  the  unprincipled  and  the 
unwise.  However,  though  "many  were  called,"  few  were  found  to 
be  misled  by  the  seducer. 

I  visited  San  Angel  on  several  occasions :  it  is  a  beautiful  place, 
differing  from  San  Augustin  in  being  located  on  a  commanding 
eminence,  which  gives  a  fine  view  of  the  city  and  surrounding 
country.  The  hill  is  crowned  by  a  large  church  and  convent,  be 
longing  to  the  Carmelite  order,  reminding  one,  like  so  many  objects 
in  Mexico,  of  the  middle  age.  The  whole  country,  indeed,  seems  to 
be  centuries  behind  ours.  I  sauntered  through  the  buildings,  and 
was  pleased  with  the  general  air  of  neatness  and  order  everywhere 
apparent.  Still  the  cloisters  are  dank  and  gloomy,  striking  a  chill 
through  you  as  you  traverse  the  long  corridors.  Without,  however, 
the  gardens  and  grounds,  well  kept  and  highly  cultivated,  with 
their  avenues  of  shade-trees,  looked  very  cheerful  and  inviting.  The 
towers  and  dome  of  the  church  are  enamelled  with  a  mosaic-work  of 
porcelain,  the  belfries  laden  with  bells  of  many  sizes,  of  various 
tones  and  richness,  and  the  walls  are  adorned  with  many  large  and 
some  fine  paintings.  I  conversed  a  little  with  the  monks,  who  were 
civil,  polite,  and  sociable.  While  there,  an  American  omcer,  pro 
fessing  the  ancient  faith,  asked  me  to  inquire  whether  he  could  be 
shriven,  he  speaking  not  a  word  of  Spanish,  and  the  padres  as  little 
English.  After  some  consultation,  an  affirmative  answer  was  given ; 
he  confessed,  and  I  afterwards  was  curious  to  know  the  modus.  He 
informed  me  he  was  assisted  by  an  invisible  interpreter,  who  read 
slowly  through  the  tables  of  sins,  as  infractions  of  the  command 
ments,  &c.,  each  and  every  one  separately,  first  in  English,  then  in 
Spanish ;  the  penitent  held  the  confessor's  hand,  unseen  by  the  in 
terpreter,  which  he  pressed  whenever  he  wished  to  admit  a  particular 


100  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

dereliction.  By  this  complex  process  he  relieved  his  oppressed  con 
science,  and,  I  suppose,  was  absolved. 

Not  a  day  has  passed  since  the  conclusion  of  the  truce,  without 
our  ears  being  occasionally  assailed  by  the  boom  of  artillery.  The 
firing  is  generally  directed  on  reconnoitering,  or  other  small  parties, 
on  exposed  duty. 

We  have  had  worse  than  soldier's  fare  of  late :  it  is  only  with 
great  difficulty  we  could  obtain  the  commonest  articles  of  subsistence. 
We  learned  that  Santa  Anna  has  had  large  foraging  parties  out, 
whose  business  was  not  more  to  supply  themselves,  than  to  prevent 
supplies  from  coming  to  us,  by  driving  off  cattle,  &c.  We  have 
now  an  illustration  of  Scott's  sagacity,  as  well  as  his  honesty,  in 
ordering  all  articles  obtained  to  be  fairly  paid  for.  Had  he  adopted 
another  policy,  his  army  would  probably  have  been  disbanded  before 
this,  and  roaming  over  the  country  in  search  of  subsistence ;  but  the 
fact  is,  sellers  find  it  to  their  interest  to  furnish  us,  and  they  will 
do  it,  in  spite  of  Santa  Anna. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  llth,  preparations  were  made  for  another 
move ;  and  when  the  day  was  well  spent,  the  division  was  in  motion, 
standing  directly  for  the  garita  del  nino  perdido,  or  the  entrance 
from  the  village  of  San  Angel.  Our  progress  was  very  slow — re 
markably  ;  we  made  frequent  halts  as  soon  as  the  darkness  set  in, 
and  somewhere  about  midnight  we  passed  Pillow's  division,  where 
his  fires  were  burning  as  quietly  as  if  there  was  nothing  to  be  done 
but  to  cheer  the  guard  with  hot  coffee.  We  had  deviated  from  the 
direct  road,  but  wherefore,  or  whither  bound,  was  left  to  conjecture. 
Silence  was  enjoined,  and  we  knew  only  there  was  a  ruse  de  guerre, 
in  which  we  were  particeps.  The  night  was  quite  cool,  but  dry ; 
and  whenever  a  halt  was  called,  officers  and  men  lay  down  on  their 
arms  by  the  roadside,  ready  at  a  whisper  to  rise  for  marching  or 
assaulting.  I  was  expecting  a  night  attack  on  some  garita  where  we 
were  least  expected.  My  attendant,  as  usual,  was  out  of  the  way 
when  wanted,  and  I  had  to  take  my  snatches  of  rest  wrapped  in  the 
oiled  sheet  I  carried  on  my  saddle,  holding  my  horse  by  the  long 
reins,  and  jerking  at  him  every  few  minutes  to  keep  him  from 
treading  on  me.  I  soon  found  a  friend  in  the  same  predicament, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  101 

and  we  agreed  to  hold  each  other's  horses,  and  sleep  by  turns.  After 
that  I  enjoyed  some  half  hours  of  repose.  One  had  to  choose  his 
resting-place  with  great  precaution ;  a  poor  fellow,  who  did  not  dis 
tinguish  the  road  from  the  barren  soil  at  the  sides,  had  the  misfor 
tune  to  have  his  legs  crushed  by  the  passage  of  a  heavy  piece  of 
ordnance.  His  sufferings  appeared  to  be  awful,  but  I  have  heard 
nothing  of  him  since.  Towards  daylight  we  found  ourselves  passing 
through  the  smart  town  of  Tacubaya.  As  the  day  broke,  we  saw 
the  great  key  to  Mexico,  frowning  Chapultepec,  standing  over  and 
against  us.  The  mystery  of  the  night  march  was  solved. 


NOTE. — G-eneral  Scott,  having  sufficient  proof  of  the  double-dealing 
and  treachery  of  his  adversary,  ordered  reconnoisances  to  be  resumed 
on  the  7th  of  September,  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  his  plans  of 
attack  on  the  city.  During  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  large  bodies 
of  Mexican  troops  were  seen  hanging  around  the  Molinos  del  Rey, 
something  more  than  a  mile  from  Tacubaya,  and  about  one-fourth 
or  third  of  a  mile  from  the  works  at  Chapultepec.  The  Commander- 
in-chief  had  learned  that  the  mills  contained  a  cannon  foundry,  while 
near  them,  in  a  stone  building  called  Casa  Mata,  there  was  a  large 
deposit  of  powder;  and  " having  heard,  two  days  before,  that  many 
church  bells  had  been  sent  out  to  be  cast  into  guns,"  the  G-eneral 
understood  the  object  of  the  enemy's  presence  there,  and  determined 
to  "  drive  him  off  early  the  next  morning,  seize  the  powder,  and 
destroy  the  foundry." 

He  was  impelled  to  this  decision  because  he  knew  there  was  no 
cutting  off  communications  between  the  foundry  and  city  until  Cha 
pultepec  was  taken,  which  was  on  the  direct  road  and  overlooking 
both  of  them ;  and  he  hoped  further  reconnoisances  would  enable 
him  to  turn  Chapultepec,  and  enter  the  city  by  one  of  the  southern 
entrances.  The  destruction  of  the  foundry  was  of  extreme  impor 
tance,  as  a  our  recent  captures  had  not  left  the  enemy  one-fourth  of 
the  guns  necessary  to  arm,  all  at  the  same  time,  the  strong  works 

9* 


102  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

at  each  of  the  eight  city  gates."  He  accordingly  ordered  General 
Worth,  with  his  division,  "reinforced  with  Cadwalader's  brigade, 
of  Pillow's,  three  squadrons  of  dragoons  under  Major  Sumner,  and 
some  heavy  guns  of  the  siege  train  under  Captain  Huger,  of  the 
ordnance,  and  Captain  Drum,  of  the  4th  artillery/ '  to  carry  his 
designs  into  execution. 

As  the  engagement  became  more  general  than  had  been  antici 
pated,  and  the  enemy  received  reinforcements  at  various  times, 
General  Scott  ordered  up  Pillow  with  the  rest  of  his  division 
(Pierce' s  brigade),  and  Riley's  brigade  of  Twiggs' ;  but  "  the  battle 
was  won  just  as  General  Pierce  reached  the  ground/'  &c.  (Scott.) 

Generals  Scott  and  Worth  made  in  person  reconnoisances  about 
and  around  the  works  at  Chapultepec,  &c.,  and  Captain  Mason,  of 
the  Engineers,  a  "  close  and  daring  reeonnoisance,"  immediately 
about  the  present  point  of  attack  at  Molino  del  Hey,  &c.  He  disco 
vered  that  the  enemy's  line  extended  from  that  point  to  the  strong 
stone  building,  the  Casa  Mata^  on  the  right  j  that  <{  midway  be 
tween  the  buildings  was  the  enemy's  field  battery,  and  his  infantry 
forces  were  disposed  on  either  side  to  support  it."  El  Molino  itself 
is  "  a  group  of  strong  stone  buildings,  adjoining  the  grove  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill  of  Chapultepec,  and  directly  under  the  guns  of  the  castle 
which  crowns  its  summit." 

General  Worth's  first  object  was  to  isolate  the  point  of  attack 
from  Chapultepec  and  its  immediate  defences.  Before  day,  on  Ihe 
morning  of  the  8th,  he  commenced  his  operations.  Hot  work  was 
expected,  but  the  full  extent  of  the  enemy's  defences  had  been 
skilfully  masked ;  so  that  our  troops  only  learned  what  they  had  to 
meet  during  the  charge.  General  Worth  had  planted  his  batteries 
(the  artillery  under  the  general  superintendence  of  Lieutenant-Colo 
nel  Duncan),  detailed  his  storming  party,  assigned  their  parts  to  the 
diiferent  brigades,  &c.,  and,  as  day  broke,  they  were  found  as  "  accu 
rately  in  position  as  if  posted  in  midday  for  review."  At  dawn, 
Huger's  heavy  guns  opened  on  the  Mills.  Wright's  storming  party, 
guided  by  Captain  Mason  and  Lieutenant  Foster,  of  the  Engineers, 
charged  upon  the  enemy's  column,  crossed  bayonets  with  more  than 
quadruple  their  numbers,  drove  them  off,  and  got  possession  of  the 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  103 

enemy's  field  battery;  the  latter,  however,  seeing  what  a  mere 
handful  was  opposed  to  them,  returned,  and  aided  by  a  plunging 
and  murderous  fire  from  behind  the  parapets  on  the  house-tops, 
struck  down  "  eleven  out  of  the  fourteen  officers  of  the  command, 
and  non-commissioned  officers  and  men  in  proportion,  including 
Major  Wright,  the  commander,  and  Captain  Mason  and  Lieutenant 
Foster,  engineers,  all  severely  wounded." 

This  severe  loss  paralysed,  for  a  while,  the  assailants ;  but  aided 
by  the  artillery,  and  supported  by  Cadwalader's  brigade,  the  attack 
was  resumed  with  fresh  vigour.  The  buildings  were  carried  by 
assault,  our  troops  advancing  by  perforating  the  walls  within,  and 
mounting  to  the  roof  without,  driving  the  immense  superiority  of 
numbers  against  them  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  Meantime  a 
desperate  contest  was  going  on  at  Casa  Mata,  "  which,  instead  of  an 
ordinary  field  entrenchment,  as  was  supposed,  proved  to  be  a  strong 
stone  citadel,  surrounded  with  bastioned  entrenchments,  and  impass 
able  ditches — an  old  Spanish  work  recently  repaired  and  enlarged." 
Our  troops,  entirely  exposed,  charged  boldly  up  to  it,  though  suffer 
ing  most  severely ;  of  the  three  senior  officers  present,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Martin  Scott  was  killed,  Colonel  Mclntosh,  mortally,  and 
MajorWaite  severely,  wounded.  The  havoc,  was  so  great,  that  the 
command  fell  into  some  temporary  disorder.  It  fell  back  on  Dun 
can's  battery,  and  there  rallied.  Returning  to  the  charge,  it  masked 
the  battery,  which  was  supported  by  the  V oltigeur  regiment ;  and 
at  the  same  time,  large  forces  of  infantry  and  cavalry  were  ap 
proaching  on  the  American  left  flank,  to  support  and  reinforce 
the  Mexican  right.  Duncan's  battery,  with  the  Yoltigeurs  "  moved 
rapidly  to  the  left  to  intercept  them ;  the  cavalry  came  within  ca 
nister  range,  when  the  whole  battery  opened  a  most  effective  fire, 
soon  broke  the  squadrons,  and  drove  them  back  in  disorder."  Major 
Sumner's  command  of  dragoons  and  mounted  rifles  at  this  time 
crossed  the  ravine  to  the  left  of  Duncan's  battery  (passing  under  a 
most  appalling  fire  from  the  Casa  Mata),  "where  it  remained,  doing 
noble  service,  during  the  rest  of  the  action."  As  the  cavalry  was 
repulsed,  the  Americans  drew  back  from  before  Casa  Mata,  ena 
bling  Duncan's  battery  to  open  fairly  upon  it,  until  the  enemy  was 


104  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

dislodged.  "  The  guns  of  the  battery  were  then  turned  upon  the 
retreating  columns,  and  continued  to  play  upon  them  until  beyond 
reach." 

"  The  enemy  was  now  driven  from  every  point  in  the  field,  and 
his  strong  lines,  which  he  certainly  had  defended  well,  were  in  our 
possession.  In  fulfilment  of  the  instructions  of  the  commander- 
in-chief,  the  Casa  Mata  was  blown  up,  and  such  of  the  captured 
ammunition  as  was  useless  to  us,  as  well  as  the  cannon-moulds  found 
in  El  Molino  del  K-ey,  were  destroyed/'  The  command  returned  to 
quarters  in  Tacubaya,  "with  three  of  the  enemy's  four  guns  (the 
fourth  having  been  spiked  and  rendered  unserviceable),  as  also  a 
large  quantity  of  small-arms,  with  gun  and  musket  ammunition, 
and  exceeding  eight  hundred  prisoners,  including  fifty-two  commis 
sioned  officers." 

The  enemy's  forces  engaged  on  the  occasion  "  exceeded  14,000 
men,  commanded  by  General  Santa  Anna  in  person.  His  total  less, 
killed  (including  the  second  and  third  in  command,  Generals  Val- 
darg  and  Leon),  wounded  and  prisoners  amounts  to  3000,  exclusive 
of  some  2000  who  deserted  after  the  rout."  The  American  forces 
"  only  reached  3100  men  of  all  arms.  The  contest  continued  two 
hours,  and  its  severity  is  painfully  attested  by  our  heavy  loss  of 
officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  and  privates,  including  in  the 
first  two  classes,  some  of  the  brightest  ornaments  of  the  service." 
(Worth.) 

The  above  is  an  extremely  condensed  account  of  this  remarkable 
engagement.  The  reports  of  the  subordinate  commanders  are 
highly  interesting,  and  the  author  of  the  letters  has  to  regret  that 
his  limits  do  not  allow  him  to  draw  from  them.  Our  entire  loss 
upon  that  occasion,  amounted  to,  in  the  aggregate,  seven  hundred 
and  eighty-seven  men,  including  nine  officers  killed  on  the  ground, 
and  fifty  wounded,  some  of  them  mortally.  To  name  all  who  dis 
tinguished  themselves,  is  out  of  the  question;  it  would  be  merely 
to  publish  the  names  of  all  present ;  but  the  names  of  the  gallant 
dead,  who  on  that  day  offered  up  their  lives  to  their  country,  may 
be  here  properly  commemorated,  viz.,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Martin 
Scott,  5th  infantry ;  Lieutenant-Colonel  William  Montrose  Graham, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  105 

llth  infantry;  Captain  M.  E.  Merrill,  5th  infantry;  Lieutenant 
W.  S.  Burwell,  Lieutenant  C.  B.  Strong,  5th  infantry;  Captain  Gr. 
W.  Ayres,  3d  artillery;  Lieutenant  W.  Armstrong,  2d  artillery; 
Lieutenant  J.  F.  Farry,  3d  artillery;  Lieutenant  R.  H.  L.  John 
ston,  llth  infantry.  Those  who  died  eventually  of  their  wounds 
then  and  there  received  were,  Colonel  IVFIntosh,  5th  infantry; 
Captain  E.  K.  Smith,  5th  infantry;  Assistant  Surgeon  William 
Roberts,  serving  with  5th  infantry ;  Lieutenant  M.  L.  Shackelford, 
2d  artillery;  Lieutenant  C.  B.  Daniels,  2d  artillery;  Lieutenant 
J.  Gr.  Burbank,  8th  infantry;  Lieutenant  C.  F.  Morris,  8th  in 
fantry;  Lieutenant  R.  F.  Ernst,  6th  infantry. 

They  died  as  the  patriot  soldier  should  die,  on  the  true  field  of 
honour,  while  gallantly  engaged  in  the  line  of  arduous  and  desperate 
duty;  and  they  left  behind  them  a  bright  and  glorious  example  to 
those  who,  entering  their  country's  service,  are  willing  to  follow  in 
their  footsteps. 


LETTER   XXIV. 

Bombardment  of  Chapultepec — Site  of  the  Castle— Opening  a  Hospital- 
Watching  the  Shots — General  Quitman  reconnoitering — General  Shields — 
Nights  without  rest — The  Assault— An  Active  Gun— Steadiness  of  the 
Americans—Interested  Spectators— Fall  of  Chapultepec — Death  of  Major 
Twiggs — Repair  to  the  Castle. 

City  of  Mexico,  September,  1847. 

FOR  the  last  few  days  we  have  all  been  in  a  whirl  of  intense  ex 
citement.  On  Sunday  morning  (12th),  our  batteries,  which  had 
been  planted  during  the  night,  opened  on  the  dread  castle  of  Cha 
pultepec,  and  kept  up  all  day  a  ceaseless  cannonading.  The  Mexi 
cans  returned  it  with  spirit,  but  without  doing  any  execution,  while 
nearly  every  shot  from  our  side  told  upon  their  works.  The  castle, 
or  fortress,  is  a  magnificent  building,  crowning  the  summit  of  one 


106  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

of  the  natural  mounds  so  common  in  this  country.  It  is  doubly 
strong,  by  its  own  strength  and  by  its  elevation,  which  puts  assail 
ants  at  a  great  disadvantage.  At  many  points  the  Castle  is  utterly 
inaccessible,  because  mounted  on  a  natural  wall  of  perpendicular 
rocks,  surmounted  by  an  artificial  one :  elsewhere  the  ascent  is 
rugged,  broken,  now  steep,  now  perpendicular  for  some  feet,  now 
over  loose  rocks  lying  on  a  slope,  and  intersected  by  rents  and 
chasms.  High  walls  and  deep  ditches  first  intercept  assailants  at 
the  base  of  the  hill,  to  reach  which,  when  the  narrow  highway  is 
obstructed,  it  is  necessary  to  traverse  low  swampy  meadows. 

Being  stationed  near  the  gallant  Drum's  battery,  with  other  in 
cautious  Americans,  led  by  momentary  excitement,  I  went  several 
times  to  a  point  nearly  in  rear  of  his  guns  to  observe  the  course  of 
things,  but  as  a  crowd  collected,  including  some  horsemen,  near  the 
same  spot,  we  were  warned  off,  as  giving  the  enemy  a  fair  mark  to 
shoot  at.  The  Marines  were  located,  pro  tempore,  in  line-shot  with 
the  batteries.  I  repaired  there  momentarily,  until  I  learned  that  a 
house  about  a  square  distant  had  been  selected  for  the  temporary 
hospital  of  the  division,  where  the  surgeons  were  to  assemble.  I 
went  to  my  post,  and  perhaps  not  too  soon  :  a  large  ball  from  the 
Castle  passed  through  the  centre  of  the  house  occupied  by  the  Marines, 
over  the  heads  of  most  of  them,  and  below  Captain  Terrett  and 
others,  on  the  house-top,  making  observations.  I  found  my  profes 
sional  brethren  getting  out  their  instruments  and  dressings,  arranging 
tables  for  operations,  &c.,  and  having  done  the  same,  I  mounted  to 
the  roof,  to  gaze  at  the  rare  spectacle  before  me,  until  my  services 
should  be  called  into  operation.  That  was  not  soon,  so  I  passed 
hours  watching  the  shots  as  they  took  effect  on  the  walls  of  the  Castle, 
which  they  did  in  a  way  very  gratifying  to  us.  Meantime  parties 
of  observation  were  out  skirmishing  with  the  enemy,  and  keeping 
up  a  perpetual  ringing  of  musketry.  Our  own  gallant  Quitman  was 
actively  engaged,  in  person,  making  reconnoisances.  Towards  night 
the  Castle  was  pretty  well  riddled,  but  it  was  understood  that  the 
next  day  the  bayonet  was  to  finish  the  work  commenced  by  mortar 
and  cannon.  During  the  day,  our  brigadier,  Shields,  who  seems  to 
bear  a  charmed  life,  came  into  our  apartment,  and  threw  himself 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  107 

exhausted  and  covered  with  dirt,  upon  a  rough  bench  prepared  for 
the  wounded.  He  did  not  get  his  Jill  of  cannonading  at  Cerro  G-ordo, 
where  he  was  shot  through  the  chest,  and  received  a  wound  that 
would  have  killed  any  but  another  Achilles.  He  took  position  on  this 
occasion  by  the  side  of  Captain  Drum,  and  there  stood,  until  knocked 
over  by  a  maguey  plant  and  soil,  torn  up  by  a  ball  that  made  directly 
for  them.  Weakened  still  from  loss  of  blood  and  suffering,  he  was 
glad  to  find  any  resting-place  until  he  could  expose  himself  more 
profitably.  Leading  the  storming  party  for  the  next  day,  was  a  duty 
scarcely  desirable  for  the  bravest;  yet  this  gallant  Irishman  en 
treated  to  be  allowed  to  command  it — to  lead  the  forlorn  hope,  in 
person.  At  one  time  he  thought  his  wishes  would  be  granted ;  he 
communicated  the  fact  to  his  aids,  telling  them,  with  flashing  eyes, 
that  on  the  morrow  they  might  expect  such  work  as  had  not  yet  been 
seen  in  Mexico. 

At  night  people  are  wont  to  sleep,  to  rest  from  their  labours,  but 
not  so  now — "  the  times  have  been  that  when  the  brains  were  out 
the  man  would  die," — but  the  times  have  changed ;  night  marches, 
night  watchings,  fighting,  caring  for  the  wounded,  &c.,  for  many 
successive  nights,  seem  to  have  changed  the  order  of  nature.  On 
the  night  of  the  12th,  both  parties  laboured  diligently  in  raising 
breastworks,  repairing  batteries,  and  so  forth ;  the  Mexicans  were* 
fortifying  the  road  to  the  city,  sending  or  endeavouring  to  send, 
reinforcements  to  the  Castle,  while  ours  had  to  check  and  repel  them, 
thus  keeping  up  skirmishing  until  a  very  late  hour.  As  the  day 
dawned,  the  work  was  resumed,  at  first  by  the  batteries,  but  at  the 
same  time  a  general  preparation  was  making  for  assault.  When 
our  troops  were  first  seen  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  all  around  me  stood 
in  breathless  silence ;  directly,  they  commenced  the  ascent,  and  the 
scene,  hitherto  so  deeply  interesting,  now  became  intensely  so.  I 
was  again  on  the  house-top,  heeding  not  the  occasional  wild  shots 
from  the  Castle,  that  seemed  to  be  intended  for  the  American  troops, 
yet  not  engaged,  about  us ;  but  gazing  most  intently  on  the  motions 
of  the  contending  columns,  I  scarcely  dared  to  breathe.  The  guns 
from  the  Castle  were  in  full  blast ;  the  hillsides-  and  summit  were 
alive  with  the  enemy's  light  troops,  pouring  destruction  into  our  slowly 


108 

ascending  columns.  But  mark  the  course  of  things :  onward  and 
upward,  slowly  yet  surely,  moves  the  American  host ;  an  irregular, 
but  fatal  fire  for  the  enemy,  is  heard ;  irregular,  because  each  indi 
vidual,  or  squad,  seems  to  fire  and  climb,  loading  as  he  can.  Is  not 
the  enemy  falling  back  towards  his  strong  defences?  Certainly. 
See  !  first  one  spot  is  vacated,  then  another — they  are  falling  back, 
decidedly,  clearly  !  Behold,  a  villanous  piece,  at  a  redoubt  half  way 
or  more  up  the  steep — a  long  twelve,  apparently — that  is  never 
silent ;  it  seemed  at  every  shot  to  plough  a  way  through  the  assail 
ing  column.  The  deepest  pain  was  expressed  in  the  countenance  of 
every  beholder  about  me.  "When  noticing  that  piece,  every  man  of 
us  felt  himself  in  personal  torture.  We  could  not  see  exactly  its 
effects,  for  a  turn  of  the  hill ;  but  imagination  filled  out  the  picture. 
Like  some  insatiate  monster,  it  passed  through  the  throng  of  human 
beings,  eating  its  way  and  leaving  a  great  gap  behind.  But  the 
column,  undaunted,  moved  steadily  onward ;  sometimes  there  was  a 
momentary  suspense,  but  it  was  for  physical  obstacles;  directly 
again,  the  onward,  upward  motion  was  resumed.  You  may  imagine, 
but  I  cannot  describe,  what  the  feelings  of  the  spectators  were.  I 
thought  of  all  excitements  I  had  ever  known,  or  witnessed,  and  felt 
how  far  they  fell  short  of  this  most  engrossing  spectacle.  There 
were  some  scores  of  Americans  perched  up  in  trees,  and  on  various 
house-tops,  looking  over  the  scene ;  but  the  spectators  of  the  other 
side  were  in  numbers  beyond  all  calculation, — surely  there  were  up 
wards  of  one  hundred  thousand.  I  looked  at  the  city,  where  the 
domes  and  towers  of  the  cathedral,  the  churches,  and  convents,  were 
blackened  with  myriads  of  people — hosts  stood  upon  the  house-tops, 
and  dense  clusters  of  human  beings  on  every  elevation.  All  the 
while  the  work  at  the  Castle  was  going  on.  The  hated  piece  was  cap 
tured,  and  heads  of  regiments  and  companies  were  seen  to  sink  in 
the  ditch,  then  mount  the  walls.  See  them — they  stop  to  wave  the 
regimental  flags,  as  they  go  over,  then  a  period  of  the  closest  fight 
ing,  and  shortly,  the  tricolour  falls,  and  the  American  ensign  waves 
over  the  proud  Castle  of  Chapultepec.  The  troops  most  under  my 
eye  were  of  the  3d  division  of  regulars,  with  a  brigade  of  the  1st ; 
the  operations  of  our  own  division,  with  Smith's  brigade  of  the  2d, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  109 

were  scarcely  to  be  seen  from  my  point  of  observation.  We  (sur 
geons)  were  immediately  engrossed  in  our  bloody  work,  when  an 
express  came  for  assistance  at  the  Castle.  Meantime,  accounts  were 
coming  in  to  us  rapidly,  of  our  losses  in  capturing  that  great  work ; 
and  the  first  death  I  heard  of  was  that  of  the  gallant  and  highsouled 
Major  Twiggs,  of  the  Marine  corps,  who  received  his  death-wound 
through  the  heart,  at  the  head  of  a  storming  party,  of  which  he  was 
commander.  In  early  life  he  earned  merited  distinction  under  the 
immortal  Decatur,  when  his  frigate,  the  President,  after  having 
whipped  the  Endymion  frigate,  fell  a  prey  to  the  British  fleet. 

I  volunteered  for  the  Castle,  set  out  immediately,  and  reached 
there  at  the  finale,  when  the  last  shots  were  being  exchanged  at 
the  base  with  the  retreating  enemy.  I  had  very  soon  the  satisfaction 
of  learning  that  the  active  piece  at  the  redoubt  had  done  no  execu 
tion  whatever,  as  every  shot  passed  over  the  heads  of  the  assailants. 
It  was  not,  and  perhaps  could  not  have  been,  sufficiently  depressed 
to  clear  the  steep  hill  below  it. 


LETTER   XXV. 

The  Dead  and  Dying — Mangled  Remains — Troops  moving  on  for  the  City — 
Want  of  Comforts  for  the  Wounded — Following  up  the  Division — A  Cau 
tion  to  keep  out  of  Harm's  Way — Interview  with  Officers  at  the  Garita 
of  Belen — Return  to  the  Castle — Duties  there — Stoicism — The  Corps  of 
Surgeons. 

City  of  Mexico,  September,  1847. 

HEAPS  of  dead  and  wounded  presented  themselves  to  my  vision 
on  every  hand  as  I  approached  the  Castle.  The  wounded  Americans 
were  carried  in  as  fast  as  possible ;  the  Mexicans,  though  there  was 
every  disposition  to  give  them  the  attention  humanity  required,  had 
to  bide  their  time.  Our  losses  had  been  heavy,  but  theirs  greater 
incomparably,  notwithstanding  the  shelter  they  had  enjoyed  to  the 

10 


110  EL  PUCHE110,  OR 

last  moment  from  their  defences.  Their  dead  bodies  lay  in  masses  of 
tens,  twenties,  or  more,  wherever  there  had  been  concentration ;  some 
there  were  gasping  in  the  last  agonies,  with  their  dark  faces  upturned 
to  the  sun,  like  fish  thrown  on  shore  by  the  angler,  writhing  and 
struggling  in  death ;  others  lay  motionless,  but  an  occasional  gasp, 
an  upheaving  of  the  chest,  alone  gave  evidence  that  the  vital  spark 
had  not  entirely  fled.  Upon  entering  the  Castle,  I  was  arrested  by 
some  Mexican  officers,  who  besought  me  to  see  a  person,  apparently 
a  general  officer,  to  whom  they  were  attending.  One  moment  suf 
ficed.  A  ball  had  passed  through  his  neck,  another  through  his 
head ;  he  was  speechless  and  motionless,  the  blood  was  passing  into 
his  windpipe,  but  his  dying  eyes  seemed  to  say  he  knew  his  own 
condition,  as  I  believe  he  did.  As  his  case  was  hopeless,  I  passed 
immediately  on,  only  pausing  a  moment  to  gaze  on  the  fearful 
mutilations  of  the  human  body  lying  around.  There  were  crushed 
heads,  mangled  limbs,  and  torn  up  bodies,  brains,  hearts,  lungs,  and 
bowels  released  from  their  natural  confines,  eyes  hanging  out  from 
their  sockets,  and  all  the  lacerations  and  contusions  that  follow  the 
use  of  fire-arms,  the  sabre,  or  the  bayonet.  Brave  officers,  who  had 
just  participated  actively  in  the  fearful  scene,  told  me  they  had 
enough  of  the  horrors  of  war,  and  hoped  never  again  to  witness 
them.  I  soon  was  earnestly  engaged  in  my  occupations,  lopping  off 
crushed  limbs,  and  dressing  wounds,  snatching  occasional  moments 
to  glance  at  the  movements  of  the  troops,  as  they  moved  along  the 
causeways,  by  the  aqueducts,  to  the  city.  Along  the  direct  road 
(Belen),  for  there  are  two  from  Chapultepec,  passed  Quitman's 
division,  with  Smith's  brigade,  of  Twiggs',  while  by  the  other,  or 
San  Cosme  road,  Worth  and  Cadwalader  advanced.  Riley's  brigade, 
of  Twiggs'  division,  was  engaged  at  the  southern  gates  of  the  city, 
supporting  Steptoe's  and  Taylor's  batteries,  which  had  been  keeping 
up  a  ceaseless  roar  since  Sunday  morning.  One  of  the  first  persons 
who  called  my  attention  at  Chapultepec,  was  a  gallant  lieutenant  of 
engineers  (Tower),  who  had  rendered  distinguished  services  on  many 
occasions.  He  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life,  as  a  ball  cut  the 
skin  from  the  edge  of  his  forehead.  I  put  on  a  temporary  dressing, 
and  he  started  off  to  render  new  services,  and  run  the  gauntlet 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  Ill 

again.  The  wounded  were  brought  in  rapidly ;  the  "  labourers  were 
few/'  but  most  diligent  in  their  duties ;  yet  the  wounded  suffered 
greatly  for  want  of  the  most  commonplace  comforts.  Such  bedding 
as  could  be  collected  about  the  building  was  spread  for  them,  but 
by  far  the  greater  part  lay  on  the  floor,  or  on  the  forms  used  by  the 
scholars,  for  the  castle  was  a  military  academy  also,  the  West  Point 
of  Mexico.  I  had  been  at  work  for  some  hours,  had  attended  to  all 
of  my  own  regiment  who  came  under  my  observation,  and  to  as  many 
others  as  I  was  able  to  assist,  when  I  felt  impelled  to  go  in  pursuit 
of  the  regiment,  to  render  service  on  the  spot.  As  I  passed  up  the 
causeway,  it  was  strewed  with  dead;  a  temporary  battery,  half-way 
along  the  road,  had  been  captured,  and  the  head  of  the  column  was 
said  to  be  at  the  city  gate.  I  met  many  stragglers  returning,  who 
gave  the  most  discordant  accounts  of  progress.  No  one  knew  any 
thing  in  general,  but  only  some  little  bit  of  detail  that  had  passed 
under  his  own  eye.  All  joined  in  one  piece  of  advice — that  is,  I 
was  riding  up  the  middle  of  the  road,  with  my  case  of  instruments 
under  my  arm,  reminding  myself  of  old  Dr.  Sitgreaves  in  the  Spy, 
when  they  advised  me  to  dismount,  and  slip  along  close  into  the 
arches  of  the  aqueduct,  borrowing  protection  from  the  jutting  sup 
ports  flanking  the  piers.  The  devastating  and  raking  cross-fires 
down  the  road  had  taught  our  people  this  precaution;  and  an  oblique 
shot  passing  before  me  from  the  Paseo,  decided  me  to  follow  their 
advice.  I  accordingly  returned  towards  the  Castle  to  dispose  of  my 
horse,  and  trudge  up  with  less  pretension.  When  near  there,  how 
ever,  I  fell  in  with  Surgeon-G-eneral  Lawson,  who  was  superintending 
his  department  with  untiring  zeal.  He  told  me  that  the  wounded 
from  my  regiment  were  all  brought  off  as  they  fell,  and  that  it  was 
impossible  for  me  to  leave  the  Castle.  I  explained  to  him  my 
wishes  and  intentions ;  and,  after  reflection,  he  concluded  it  would 
be  advisable  for  me  to  follow  up  the  regiment,  and  learn  of  the 
commanding  officer  whether  any  of  his  command  wanted  immediate 
attention.  I  returned  then,  and  accompanied  the  Surgeon-Greneral 
to  a  house,  converted  into  a  temporary  hospital,  a  mile  from  Cha- 
pultepec,  where  I  left  him,  to  pursue  my  solitary  route.  The  am 
bulances  were  bringing  back  full  freights,  and  wounded  mules  and 


112  EL  PUCHEEO,  OR 

horses  were  straggling  on  the  road.  I  soon  carne  up  with  the  rear 
of  the  column,  now  sheltered  partially  under  the  arches,  inquiring 
of  all  I  saw  to  be  directed  to  the  regiment  I  was  in  search  of.  No 
man  could  answer,  however,  for  any  one  but  himself;  and  as  the 
twilight  began  to  hide  objects,  I  almost  despaired.  Pushing  on, 
however,  I  found  myself  at  length  facing  a  double  arch,  that  could 
be  nothing  but  the  city  gate.  Such  it  was,  indeed,  the  garita  of 
Belen;  and  there,  adjoining,  across  the  ditch  that  flanked  the  right 
side  of  the  causeway,  I  found  our  estimable  commander,  with  a  por 
tion  of  his  officers  and  men  sitting  and  lying  down  around  him, 
waiting  for  further  action.  It  was  now  dark,  and  the  battle  was 
quite  suspended ;  but  the  night  was  to  be  spent  in  active  prepara 
tions  for  an  early  attack  on  the  citadel,  about  two  hundred  yards 
from  the  garita.  So  many  were  dead,  so  many  were  wounded }  a 
considerable  detachment  was  missing,  headed  by  a  gallant  captain 
(Terrett),  a  man  of  iron  nerve,  who  was  either  dead  or  doing  good 
duty  somewhere.  His  fate,  and  that  of  his  officers  and  men,  was 
entirely  unknown.  After  a  little  conversation,  finding  the  wounded 
had  been  carried  back,  I  repaired  once  more  to  the  great  hospital  at 
the  Castle.  The  15th  infantry  had  been  left  in  charge,  while  the 
army  pushed  on  to  the  city.  That  regiment,  with  the  prisoners, 
the  wounded,  and  the  surgeons,  were  for  the  night  the  occupants  of 
the  fortress.  I  was  fagged  with  labour,  hungry,  and  sleepy ;  but 
there  was  no  rest  to  be  had  there.  I  passed  the  night  operating  and 
assisting  the  operations  of  others.  At  times  I  threw  my  weary 
person  down  on  one  of  the  benches  for  a  little  sleep,  to  enable  me 
to  continue  my  labours ;  but  sleep  had  fled  far  from  me,  and  the 
groans  and  cries  of  the  sufferers,  the  heavy  tread  of  soldiers  bringing 
in  wounded,  the  flashing  lights  of  the  surgeons  and  attendants,  dis 
pelled  the  hope  of  a  moment's  repose.  About  midnight  a  con 
siderate  person  boiled  a  little  coffee  for  those  who  stood  in  need  of 
it,  or  rather  for  such  as  saw  it,  for  all  were  nearly  famished ;  and  I 
found  half  a  tincupful,  without  milk  or  sugar,  but  accompanied  by 
a  little  dry  bread,  refreshing  and  renovating.  Although  there  was 
immense  suffering  among  the  wounded,  they  bore  it  generally  with 
remarkable  stoicism ;  men  in  their  senses  seemed  to  scorn  to  com- 


m 


".. 


f    •; 


1 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  113 

'.,""- 

plain,  but  lay  patiently  awaiting  the  operation,  or  the  change  that 
was  to  decide  the  prospect  of  life  or  death.  In  one  instance,  while 
taking  off  the  forearm  of  a  rifleman,  a  sturdy  son  of  the  Emerald 
Isle,  with  a  shattered  wrist,  he  conversed  calmly  during  the  ope 
ration,  uttering  not  a  groan ;  and  the  arteries  were  scarcely  tied, 
before  he  was  smoking  a  pipe  borrowed  from  a  comrade.  Men 
seemed  to  feel  cut  off  from  human  sympathies,  and  certainly  were 
not  unnerved,  as  is  so  common  in  civil  life,  by  the  kind  and  gentle 
attentions  of  friends. 

I  must  offer  a  passing  tribute  to  the  diligence  and  zeal  of  my 
colleagues ;  some  of  whom  passed  hour  after  hour,  night  and  day, 
without  pausing  for  a  moment's  rest;  scarcely  eating  or  sleeping 
for  several  successive  days  and  nights.  The  medical  corps  of  the 
army  needs  no  eulogy,  being  equally  distinguished  for  intelligence 
and  high  moral  character ;  while  among  their  temporary  associates, 
there  are  many  young  men  of  superior  acquirements,  who  are  taking 
valuable  lessons  in  this  great  school  for  practice. 


LETTER   XXVI. 

Unconditional  Surrender  of  the  City — Occupation  of  the  Citadel — Street 
Fighting — Rifles  versus  Escopets — Proclamations — A  sad  City — Decked 
out  with  Flags  -  Return  of  the  Absent — Shifting  Quarters — Fatality 
among  Field-Officers. 

City  of  Mexico,  September,  1847. 

DURING  the  night  of  the  13th,  our  troops  were  making  the  ne 
cessary  preparations  for  bombarding  the  city.  Worth's  division 
was  in  occupation  of  the  garita  of  San  Cosine,  and  Quitman's  of 
that  at  Belen.  While  anxiously  waiting  for  the  morning  guns, 
that  seemed  now  to  be  a  matter  of  course,  the  news  was  passed  that 
the  Mexican  army  had  vacated  the  city,  and  that  the  civil  authori 
ties  had  offered  capitulation  to  the  Commander-in-chief.  Quitman 

10* 


114  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

occupied  the  citadel  immediately,  leaving  there  in  garrison  the  2d 
Pennsylvania  volunteers ;  he  then  moved  on  to  the  grand  plaza,  and 
palace.  Scott  rejected  all  terms  with  the  citizens,  requiring  an  uncon 
ditional  surrender,  which  could  no  longer  be  refused.  He  entered 
the  city  triumphantly  early  on  the  morning  of  the  14th ;  the  stars 
and  stripes  were  already  waving  over  the  national  palace  of  Mexico ; 
and  we  thought  all  contest  was  for  a  time  at  an  end ;  not  so,  how 
ever.  Santa  Anna  had  opened  the  doors  of  the  prisons,  and  turned 
out  thousands  of  felons,  who,  arms  in  hands,  opened  an  unexpected 
fire  in  all  quarters  on  our  troops  in  the  streets,  while  the  assassins 
were  half  concealed  on  the  house-tops,  and  sheltered  by  the  parapets. 
The  fire  was  quite  destructive,  and  the  more  exasperating,  as  foul, 
unexpected,  and  cowardly.  The  villains  were  as  unsuccessful  as 
their  army  had  been.  In  a  little  while  our  troops  were  on  the  house 
tops;  the  unerring  rifle  was  opposed  to  the  murderous  escopet. 
The  Mexicans  were  worsted,  as  they  always  had  been ;  they  were 
driven  from  house  to  house,  and  from  square  to  square,  leaving 
their  dead  and  wounded  behind  them.  Worth's  division  surprised 
them,  as  at  Monterey,  by  perforating  the  walls  of  the  houses,  and 
ascending  upon  them  from  below.  Mountain  howitzers  were  placed 
in  lofty  towers,  which  dismayed,  as  they  dispersed,  the  felon  army. 
It  was  a  day's  work,  however,  and  even  on  the  15th  and  16th,  there 
was  occasional  skirmishing,  receding  from  the  centre  to  the  outskirts 
of  the  city.  General  Scott  issued  a  proclamation  to  the  citizens, 
denouncing  such  warfare  after  the  city  had  been  fairly  surrendered, 
and  threatening  the  destruction  of  houses,  and  the  execution  of  the 
occupants,  wherever  it  was  sanctioned  or  allowed.  Holding  in  the 
other  hand  the  olive  branch,  he  expressed  a  most  anxious  wish  to 
preserve  the  lives  and  property  of  citizens;  he  warned  his  own 
troops,  at  the  same  time,  from  any  acts  of  injustice  or  unnecessary 
violence,  under  the  severest  penalties.  The  city  authorities  also 
published  a  proclamation,  deprecating  the  attempts  of  the  populace 
to  oppose  us.  They  declared  that  such  warfare  was  only  calculated 
to  bring  vengeance  on  peaceful  and  quiet  citizens,  and  that  the  army 
having  fled,  such  resistance  was  wholly  unavailing.  Between  the 
proclamations,  and  our  sharp-shooters,  quiet  was  gradually  restored, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  115 

and  the  troops  went  into  quarters.  The  gallant  Marines  occupied 
the  national  palace,  which  they  found  infested  by  thieving  leperos, 
who  were  ejected  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

My  own  time  was  occupied  passing  to  and  fro,  between  the  city 
and  Chapultepee,  where  a  large  portion  of  the  wounded  remained 
for  some  days  after  the  fall  of  the  former.  A  general  appearance 
of  gloom  pervaded  the  ancient  city ;  few  persons  were  seen  in  the 
streets ;  the  shops  were  all  closed ;  grim  artillery  pieces  stood  as  sen 
tinels  at  the  heads  of  the  streets  leading  from  the  palace  square ; 
and  the  Mexican  dead  lay,  for  a  time,  where  they  fell,  unburied. 
Waving  flags,  whether  of  truce  or  bearing  the  arms  of  neutral  na 
tions,  flung  out  from  every  house,  gave  something  of  a  holiday 
aspect  to  the  silent  mansions,  and  spoke  of  living  tenants  within. 
In  time,  our  missing  friends  who  were  not  at  Belen,  came  dropping 
in ;  they,  in  the  heat  of  the  pursuit,  had  taken  the  course  of  the 
1st  and  3d  divisions  from  Chapultepec,  and  were  for  a  time  with  the 
gallant  Cadwalader,  doing  brilliant  service.  Some  from  the  other 
divisions,  had  taken  our  course  in  like  manner.  All  had  enough  to 
do,  and  how  they  did  it  needs  no  comment.  The  troops  found  only 
temporary  quarters  until  a  distribution  could  be  made  in  reference 
to  garrisoning  the  city ;  ours  moved,  for  instance,  to  the  Aduana 
(custom-house) ;  thence  to  the  spacious  Dominican  convent  at  hand ; 
and  finally  to  a  building  used  as  a  military  college,  in  the  street 
leading  from  the  palace  to  the  garita  of  San  Antonio,  near  which 
was  quartered  the  entire  volunteer  division.  The  command  of  our 
brigade  fell  on  Lieutenant-Colonel  Watson  of  the  Marines,  as  since 
its  formation  his  seniors  had  all  been  removed  from  the  line  of 
duty, — General  Shields,  by  a  most  formidable  wound  of  the  arm, 
by  which  he  was  entirely  disabled ;  Colonel  Burnett,  of  the  New 
Yorkers,  by  a  desperate  wound  of  the  foot ;  Colonel  Butler,  of  the 
Palmettos,  by  death  on  the  battle-field,  and  Colonel  Koberts,  of  the 
Pennsylvanians,  by  illness.*  It  may  be  added,  too,  as  illustrating 
the  scenes  through  which  the  brigade  had  passed,  that  nearly  all  the 

*  It  is  inaccurately  stated  that  the  Pennsylvanians  belonged  to  Shields' 
brigade.  The  regiment  formed  part  of  Quitman's  division,  but  was  net 
brigaded. 


116  EL  PUCIIERO,  OR 

field-officers  had  been  killed  or  wounded ;  thus,  of  the  Lieutenant- 
Colonels,  Dickinson,  of  the  Palmettos,  and  Baxter  of  the  New 
Yorkers,  had  given  their  lives  to  their  country,  and  Geary,  of  the 
Pennsylvanians,  received  an  honourable  wound. 


NOTE. — The  admirable  report  of  General  Scott  contains  nearly 
everything  in  relation  to  the  taking  of  Chapultepec  and  the  city,  in 
the  way  of  exact  knowledge,  that  would  interest  the  general  reader ; 
the  author,  therefore,  thinks  he  could  not  do  better  than  to  extract 
freely  from  it,  drawing  at  the  same  time  moderately  from  other 
sources  of  information. 

The  General  opens  by  giving  his  reasons  for  striking  at  the  city 
by  Chapultepec,  instead  of  by  the  southern  entrances.  The  city  is 
described  as  standing  on  "  a  slight  swell  of  ground  near  the  centre 
of  an  irregular  basin,  and  is  girdled  by  a  ditch  in  its  greater  extent 
— a  navigable  canal  of  great  breadth  and  depth — very  difficult  to 
bridge  in  the  presence  of  an  enemy,  and  serving  at  once  for  drainage, 
custom-house  purposes,  and  military  defence,  leaving  eight  entrances, 
or  gates  over  arches,  each  of  which  we  found  defended  by  a  system  of 
strong  works,  that  seemed  to  require  nothing  but  some  men  and  guns 
to  be  impregnable. 

"  Outside,  and  within  the  cross-fires  of  those  gates,  we  found  to 
the  south  other  obstacles,  but  little  less  formidable.  All  the  ap 
proaches  near  the  city  are  over  elevated  causeways,  cut  in  many 
places,  (to  oppose  us,)  and  flanked  on  both  sides  by  ditches,  also  of 
unusual  dimensions.  The  numerous  cross-roads  are  flanked  in  like 
manner,  having  bridges  at  the  intersections,  recently  broken.  The 
meadows  thus  chequered  are  moreover,  in  many  places,  under  water, 
or  marshy ;  for  it  will  be  remembered  we  were  in  the  midst  of  the 
wet  season,  though  with  less  rain  than  usual,  and  we  could  not  wait 
for  the  fall  of  the  neighbouring  lakes,  and  the  consequent  drainage 
of  the  wet  grounds  at  the  edge  of  the  city — the  lowest  in  the  whole 
basin." 

The  General  having  made  a  personal  reconnoisance  of  the  southern 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  117 

entrances,  under  cover  of  Pillow's  division  and  Riley's  brigade,  in 
presence  of  a  fourfold  number  of  the  enemy,  determined  to  seek  less 
unfavourable  approaches,  but  by  a  feint  to  keep  him  under  the  im 
pression  that  the  attack  was  to  be  made  by  those  entrances,  accord 
ing  to  his  anticipations.  General  Scott  then  "  ordered  Quitman's 
division  from  Coyoacan  to  join  Pillow,  by  daylight,  before  the 
southern  gates,  and  then  that  the  two  major-generals,  with  their  divi 
sions,  should,  ~by  night,  proceed  (two  miles)  to  join  me  at  Tacubaya, 
where  I  was  quartered  with  Worth's  division.  Twiggs',  with  Riley's 
brigade,  and  Captains  Taylor's  and  Steptoe's  field  batteries,  the  latter 
of  twelve-pounders,  was  left  in  front  of  those  gates,  to  manoeuvre, 
to  threaten,  or  to  make  false  attacks,  in  order  to  occupy  and  deceive 
the  enemy.  Twiggs'  other  brigade,  Smith's,  was  left  in  supporting 
distance  in  the  rear,"  &c.  "The  stratagem  against  the  south  was 
admirably  executed  throughout  the  12th,  and  down  to  the  afternoon 
of  the  13th,  when  it  was  too  late  for  the  enemy  to  recover  from  the 
effects  of  his  delusion. 

"  The  first  step  in  the  new  movement  was  to  carry  Chapul tepee, 
a  natural  and  isolated  mound  of  great  elevation,  strongly  fortified  at 
its  base,  on  its  acclivities  and  heights.  Besides  a  numerous  garri 
son,  here  was  the  military  college  of  the  republic,  with  a  large  num 
ber  of  sub-lieutenants  and  other  students.  These  works  were  in 
direct  gunshot  of  the  village  of  Tacubaya,  and  until  carried  we  could 
not  approach  the  city  without  making  a  circuit  too  wide  and  too 
hazardous. 

"  In  the  course  of  the  same  night  (llth),  heavy  batteries  within 
easy  ranges  were  established.  Numbers  1  and  2,  commanded  by 
Captain  Drum,  Lieutenant  Andrews,  temporarily,  of  the  artillery, 
and  Lieutenant  Hagner  of  the  ordnance,  were  supported  by  Quit- 
man's  division ;  and  numbers  3  and  4  were  commanded  by  Captain 
Brooks  and  Lieutenant  Anderson,  of  the  artillery,  the  latter  alter 
nately  with  Lieutenant  Stone,  ordnance,  and  supported  by  Pillow's 
division.  Captains  Huger  of  the  ordnance,  and  Lee  of  engineers, 
traced  and  constructed  the  batteries,  assisted  by  the  younger  officers 
attached  to  them.  The  batteries  were  intended  to  prepare  the  way 
for  assault.  Recent  captures  had  not  only  trebled  our  siege-pieces, 


118  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

but  also  our  ammunition ;  and  we  knew  we  should  greatly  augment 
both  by  carrying  the  place. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th,  Pillow  and  Quitman  had  been  in 
position  since  early  on  the  night  of  the  llth.  Worth  was  ordered  to 
hold  his  division  in  reserve,  near  the  foundry,  to  support  Pillow ; 
Smith's  brigade  was  ordered  to  support  Quitman.  Biley's  brigade 
continued  actively  engaged  before  the  southern  gates,  with  Taylor's 
and  Steptoe's  batteries,  "  holding  there  a  great  part  of  the  Mexican 
army  on  the  defensive/' 

Additional  storming  parties  were  furnished ;  from  Worth's  divi 
sion,  250  men  and  officers,  under  Captain  M.  Huger,  of  2d  artillery, 
to  Pillow;  and  from  Smith's  brigade,  another,  under  Captain  Casey, 
2d  infantry,  to  Quitman.  Each  of  them  was  supplied  with  scaling 
ladders.  At  a  concerted  signal  the  columns  advanced  to  the  assault 
"  with  an  alacrity  that  gave  assurance  of  prompt  success."  General 
Pillow  was  struck  down  by  a  wound  as  he  advanced  on  the  west  side, 
and  his  command  devolved  on  Cadwalader.  One  brigade  of  Worth's 
division  (Clarke's),  was  ordered  to  support  Pillow  at  his  call. 

"  The  broken  acclivity  was  still  to  be  ascended,  and  a  strong  re 
doubt,  midway  to  be  carried,  before  reaching  the  Castle  on  the  heights. 
The  advance  of  our  brave  men,  led  by  brave  officers,  was  necessarily 
slow,  though  unwavering,  over  rocks,  chasms,  and  mines,  and  under 
the  hottest  fire  of  cannon  and  musketry.  The  redoubt  now  yielded 
to  resistless  valour,  and  the  shouts  that  followed  announced  to  the 
Castle  the  fate  that  impended.  The  enemy  was  steadily  driven  from 
shelter  to  shelter.  The  retreat  allowed  not  time  to  fire  a  single  mine 
without  the  certainty  of  blowing  up  friend  and  foe.  Those,  who  at 
a  distance  attempted  to  apply  matches  to  the  long  trains,  were  shot 
down  by  our  men.  There  was  death  below  as  well  as  above  ground. 
At  length  the  ditch  and  wall  of  the  main  work  were  reached ;  the 
scaling  ladders  were  brought  up  and  planted  by  the  storming  parties ; 
some  of  the  daring  spirits,  first  in  the  assault,  were  cast  down,  killed, 
or  wounded;  but  a  lodgment  was  soon  made,  streams  of  heroes 
followed ;  all  opposition  was  overcome,  and  several  of  our  regimental 
colours,  flung  out  from  the  upper  walls,  amidst  long-continued  shouts 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  119 

and  cheers,  which  sent  dismay  into  the  capital.  No  scene  could  have 
been  more  animating  or  glorious. 

"Major-General  Quitman,  nobly  supported  by  Brigadier-Generals 
Shields  and  Smith,  his  other  officers  and  men,  was  up  with  the  part 
assigned  him.  Simultaneously  with  the  movement  on  the  west,  he 
had  gallantly  approached  the  southeast  of  the  same  works  over  a 
causeway  with  cuts  and  batteries,  and  defended  by  an  army  strongly 
posted  outside,  to  the  east  of  the  works.  Those  formidable  obstacles 
Quitman  had  to  face,  with  but  little  shelter  for  his  troops  or  space 
for  manoeuvring.  Deep  ditches,  flanking  the  causeways  made  it 
difficult  to  cross  on  either  side  into  the  adjoining  meadows,  and  these 
again  were  intersected  by  other  ditches."  Smith's  brigade  was 
stretched  out  to  the  right  to  present  a  front  to  the  enemy  outside, 
and  to  support  Quitman' s  storming  parties,  commanded,  the  one  by 
Captain  Casey,  2d  infantry,  until,  when  wounded,  he  was  relieved  by 
Captain  Paul,  and  the  other  by  the  gallant  Major  Twiggs  of  the 
Marine  corps,  who  fell  at  the  head  of  his  party,  when  he  was  suc 
ceeded  by  Captain  Miller,  of  the  2d  Pennsylvanians.  Paul's  storm 
ing  parties  took  two  batteries,  many  prisoners,  &c.,  while  Miller's 
accompanied  Shields'  brigade  and  the  Pennsylvania  volunteers, 
crossing  "  the  meadows  in  front  under  a  heavy  fire,  and  entering  the 
outer  enclosure  of  Chapultepec,  just  in  time  to  join  in  the  final 
assault  from  the  west." 

General  Scott  then  compliments  officers,  regiments,  &c.,  particu 
larly  distinguished ;  including  all  the  general  officers,  the  voltigeurs, 
the  9th  and  15th  infantry ;  the  storming  parties ;  Colonel  Clarke's 
brigade,  &c. ;  and  portions  of  the  United  States  Marines,  New  York, 
South  Carolina,  and  2d  Pennsylvania  volunteers,  which,  delayed  with 
their  division  (Quitman' s)  by  the  hot  engagement  below,  arrived 
just  in  time  to  participate  in  the  assault  of  the  heights,  particularly 
a  detachment,  under  Lieutenant  Reed,  New  York  volunteers,  con 
sisting  of  a  company  of  the  same,  with  one  of  Marines  ;*  and  an 
other  detachment,  a  portion  of  the  storming  party  under  Lieutenant 
Steele,  2d  infantry,  after  the  fall  of  Lieutenant  Gantt,  7th  infantry." 

*  Under  Lieutenant  D.  J.  Sutherland,  of  that  corps. 


120  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

In  the  mean  time,  the  heavy  batteries  under  the  officers  first  men 
tioned,  and  superintended  by  Captain  Huger,  did  faithful  service ; 
while  practicable  they  kept  up  their  fire  over  the  heads  of  our  troops, 
and  thereby  kept  the  force  in  the  Castle  reduced  to  its  minimum; 
a  mountain  howitzer,  under  Lieutenant  Reno,  of  the  ordnance,  ac 
companied  the  Voltigeurs. 

The  operations  of  the  troops  heretofore  mentioned,  were  on  the 
west,  southeast,  and  heights  of  Chapultepec.  At  the  base  of  the 
mound,  to  the  north,  where  it  was  inaccessible,  the  llth  infantry, 
under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hebert,  and  the  14th,  under  Colonel 
Trousdale,  with  Captain  Magruder's  field  battery  of  the  1st  artil 
lery,  "had  some  spirited  affairs  against  superior  numbers,"  drove 
off  the  enemy,  captured  a  battery,  &c. 

When  the  Castle  was  taken,  the  General-in-chief  ascended  to  the 
top  to  get  a  full  view  of  the  field  before  him  towards  the  city.  The 
two  roads,  passing,  one  to  the  right,  to  the  garita  of  Belen,  the 
other  to  the  left  obliquely,  to  intersect  the  western  or  San  Cosme 
road,  are  each  "  an  elevated  causeway,  presenting  a  double  roadway 
on  the  sides  of  an  aqueduct  of  strong  masonry  and  great  height, 
resting  on  open  arches  and  massive  pillars,  which,  together,  afford 
fine  points  both  for  attack  and  defence.  The  sideways  of  both 
aqueducts,  moreover,  are  defended  by  strong  breastworks  at  the 
gates,  and  before  reaching  them." 

"  Worth  and  Quitman  were  prompt  in  pursuing  the  retreating 
enemy — the  former  by  the  San  Cosme  aqueduct,  and  the  latter 
along  that  of  Belen." 

Clark's  brigade  and  Cadwalader's  were  immediately  ordered  by 
General  Scott  to  accompany  Worth;  while  Pierce' s  brigade  was  or 
dered  to  join  Quitman — the  heavy  artillery  to  follow  each  column 
as  soon  as  practicable.  The  15th  infantry,  under  Lieutenant-Colo 
nel  Howard,  was  left  to  garrison  Chapultepec.  General  Scott  ac 
companied  Worth  along  the  road  to  San  Cosme,  and  found  no 
obstacles  prepared  for  the  occasion,  to  repel  him ;  at  the  first  bat 
tery,  or  line  of  defence,  there  was  not  a  single  gun,  which  proved 
to  him  that  the  enemy  expected  us  to  fail  at  Chapultepec, 
or  that  if  successful,  the  attack  against  the  city  would  continue 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  121 

from  the  south,  where  Twiggs  was  still  keeping  up  active,  but  de 
lusory  operations. 

As  Worth  entered  the  suburbs  of  San  Cosme,  he  was  assailed 
from  windows  and  house-tops.  He  ordered  forward  the  mountain 
howitzers,  "  preceded  by  skirmishers  and  pioneers,  with  pickaxes 
and  crowbars,  to  force  windows  and  doors,  or  to  burrow  through 
walls.  The  assailants  were  soon  put  in  an  equality  of  position 
fatal  to  the  enemy."  By  8  o'clock  in  the  evening,  Worth  had  car 
ried  two  batteries  in  this  suburb.  (At  the  taking  of  one  of  these 
li  it  became  necessary,  at  all  hazards,  to  advance  a  piece  of  artillery 
to  the  evacuated  battery  of  the  enemy,  intermediate  between  us  and 
the  garita.  Lieutenant  Hunt  was  ordered  to  execute  this  duty, 
which  he  did  in  the  highest  possible  style  of  gallantry,  equally  sus 
tained  by  his  veteran  troops,  with  the  loss  of  one  killed  and  four 
wounded  out  of  nine  men,  &c.  Reaching  the  breastwork,  he  became 
muzzle  to  muzzle  with  the  enemy.  It  has  never  been  my  fortune  to 
witness  a  more  brilliant  exhibition  of  courage  and  conduct"  Worth.') 
Between  8  and  9  o'clock,  Riley  joined  Worth  with  his  brigade  of 
Twiggs'  division;  earlier  in  the  evening,  Steptoe's  battery  rejoined 
Quitman. 

Scott,  knowing  that  San  Cosme  afforded  the  easiest  entrance  to 
the  capital,  only  intended  Quitman  to  manosuvre  before,  and 
threaten  Belen,  to  favour  the  main  attack  by  Worth ;  as  Belen  was 
directly  under  the  guns  of  the  strong  fortress  called  the  Citadel, 
and  within  convenient  supporting  distance  from  the  southern  gates. 
The  largest  force  was  assigned  to  Worth  for  the  main  attack. 
Quitman  understood  this  distinctly;  "but  being  in  hot  pursuit, 
gallant  himself,  and  ably  supported  by  Brigadier-Generals  Shields 
and  Smith, — Shields  badly  wounded  before  Chapultepec,  and  re 
fusing  to  retire,- — as  well  as  by  all  the  officers  and  men  of  the  column, 
Quitman  continued  to  press  forward  under  flank  and  direct  fires ; 
carrying  an  intermediate  battery,  and  then  the  gate,  before  2  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  but  not  without  proportionate  loss,  increased  by 
his  steady  maintenance  of  that  position." 

Here  fell  the  gallant  Captain  Drum  and  Lieutenant  Benjamin  of 
the  4th  artillery;  Lieutenants  Moragne  and  Canty,  of  the  South 

11 


122  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

Carolina  volunteers,  and  many  brave  non-commissioned  officers  and 
men,  besides  many  of  all  grades,  wounded.  Quitman,  within  the 
city  gate,  passed  the  night  making  preparations  for  taking  the  Cita 
del,  &c.,  but  meantime  a  deputation  from  the  ayuntamiento  (city 
council)  offered  the  capitulation  of  the  city ;  Santa  Anna,  the  army, 
and  the  government,  having  fled  under  cover  of  the  darkness. 
General  Scott  refused  all  terms  except  such  as  were  imposed  by 
himself  and  required  by  the  dignity  and  honour  of  his  country. 

The  city  was  taken  possession  of  on  the  morning  of  the  14th, 
when  the  street  fighting  commenced,  and  continued  until  suppressed 
as  mentioned  in  the  letters. 

Our  total  loss  on  the  12th,  13th,  and  14th  of  September, 
amounted  to,  killed,  130,  including  10  officers;  wounded,  703,  in 
cluding  68  officers  (many  of  the  wounded  have  since  died) ;  miss 
ing,  29.  Total  862. 

Our  grand  total  of  losses  in  the  valley  of  Mexico,  amounted  to 
2703,  including  383  officers. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  this  small  force  has  beaten,  on  the  same 
occasions  (all  the  battles  of  the  valley),  the  whole  Mexican  army, 
at  the  beginning,  of  thirty  odd  thousand  men,  posted  always  in 
chosen  positions,  behind  entrenchments,  or  more  formidable  de 
fences  of  nature  and  art ;  killed  or  wounded  of  that  number,  more 
than  7000  officers  and  men;  taken  3730  prisoners,  one-seventh 
officers,  including  13  generals,  of  whom  3  had  been  presidents  of 
this  republic ;  captured  more  than  20  colours  and  standards,  75  pieces 
of  ordnance,  besides  67  wall-pieces,  20,000  small  arms,  an  immense 
quantity  of  shots,  shells,  powder/'  &c. 

The  remains  of  the  Mexican  army  were  dispersed  in  various  small 
fragments  "without  magazines  or  a  military  chest,  and  living  at 
free  quarters  upon  their  own  people." 

The  author  has  made  such  copious  extracts  from  General  Scott's 
report,  that  neither  time  nor  space  will  allow  him  to  draw  upon 
others  as  their  interesting  contents  merit.  He  will,  however,  add 
a  few  more,  drawn  from  the  lucid  report  of  General  Quitman,  and 
others,  as  illustrations  of  the  course  of  events  on  the  great  occasions 
under  notice. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  123 

"  Perceiving  that  all  preliminary  dispositions  were  made  (for  the 
assault  at  Chapultepec),  Major  Gladden,  with  his  regiment  (Pal 
metto),  having  passed  the  wall  by  breaching  it,  the  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania  regiments  having  entered  over  an  abandoned  battery 
on  their  left,  and  the  battalion  of  Marines  being  posted  to  support 
the  storming  parties,  I  ordered  the  assault  at  all  points. 

"The  storming  parties,*  led  by  the  gallant  officers  who  had 
volunteered  for  this  desperate  service,  rushed  forward  like  a  resist 
less  tide.  The  Mexicans,  behind  their  batteries  and  breastworks, 
stood  with  more  than  usual  firmness.  For  a  short  time  the  contest 
was  hand  to  hand ;  swords  and  bayonets  were  crossed,  and  rifles 
clubbed.  Resistance,  however,  was  vain  against  the  desperate 
valour  of  our  brave  troops.  The  batteries  and  strong  works  were 
carried,  and  the  ascent  of  Chapultepec  on  that  side,  laid  open  to  an 
easy  conquest." 

Captain  Casey  was  disabled  by  a  severe  wound,  and  his  command 
devolved  on  Captain  Paul,  7th  infantry,  who  distinguished  himself 
greatly.  "  In  like  manner,  the  command  of  the  storming  party 
from  the  volunteer  division  devolved  on  Captain  James  Miller^  of 
the  2d  Pennsylvania  regiment,  by  the  death  of  its  chief,  the  brave 
and  lamented  Major  Twiggs,  of  the  Marine  corps,  who  fell  on  the 
first  advance  at  the  head  of  his  command." 

"  Simultaneously  with  these  movements  on  our  right,  the  volun 
teer  regiments,  with  equal  alacrity  and  intrepidity,  animated  by  a 
generous  emulation,  commenced  the  ascent  of  the  hill  on  the  south 
side.  Surmounting  every  obstacle,  and  fighting  their  way,  they 
fell  in  and  mingled  with  their  brave  brethren  in  arms,  who  formed 
the  advance  of  Major-General  Pillow's  column.  Side  by  side,  amid 

*  Quitman's  storming  parties  were  13  officers  and  250  men,  of  Twiggs' 
division,  selected  for  the  occasion  from  the  Rifles,  1st  and  4th  artillery,  and 
2d,  3d,  and  7th  infantry,  under  command  of  Captain  Casey,  2d  infantry; 
and  another  of  120  officers  and  men,  of  the  volunteer  division,  under  com 
mand  of  Major  Twiggs,  of  the  Marines.  A  pioneer  storming  party  of  choice 
men,  also  selected  from  the  volunteer  division,  and  under  command  of  Cap 
tain  Reynolds,  of  the  Marines,  was  provided  with  ladders,  pickaxes,  and 
crows,  to  accompany  Twiggs'  stormers. 


124  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

the  storm  of  battle,  the  rival  colours  of  the  two  commands  struggled 
up  the  steep  ascent,  entered  the  fortress,  and  reached  the  buildings," 
&c.  General  Bravo,  the  commander  of  the  Mexican  forces,  was 
taken  prisoner  by  an  officer  of  the  New  York  volunteers. 

As  large  bodies  of  the  enemy, were  on  the  direct  road  to  the  city — 
(the  road,  it  must  be  remembered,  is  "a  broad  avenue,  flanked  by 
deep  ditches  and  marshy  grounds  on  either  side,"  the  aqueduct,  or 
its  series  of  arches,  passing  along  the  centre) — General  Quitman 
ordered  his  command  forward  as  soon  as  supplied  with  ammunition, 
drove  back  the  enemy,  took  a  strong  battery  thrown  across  the  road 
about  a  mile  from  Chapultepec,  which  resisted  obstinately,  but  was 
carried  by  assault  by  the  Rifles,  who  we're  in  advance,  with  the  aid 
of  an  eight-inch  howitzer  under  Captain  Drum.  The  column  was 
here  reorganized  for  an  attack  on  the  batteries  at  the  city  gate 
(Belen).  The  Rifles  and  Palmettos  were  placed  in  advance,  "  three 
rifles  and  three  bayonets  under  each  arch,"  supported  by  Shields' 
brigade,  Marines  and  New  Yorkers,  the  Pennsylvania  regiment,  and 
Smith's  brigade,  "with  a  part  of  the  6th  infantry,  under  Major 
Bonneville,  who  had  fallen  into  this  road.  In  this  order  the  column 
resolutely  advanced  from  arch  to  arch  of  the  aqueduct,  under  a 
tremendous  fire  of  artillery  and  small-arms  from  the  batteries  at  the 
garita,  the  Paseo,  and  a  large  body  of  the  enemy  on  the  Piedad 
road  to  the  right,  extending  from  the  left  of  the  garita."  A  de 
structive  enfilading  fire  from  that  road  was  stopped  by  a  few  rounds 
of  canister  from  a  piece  under  Captain  Drum,  and  Lieutenants  Ben 
jamin  and  Porter.  "At  twenty  minutes  past  one,  the  garita  was 
carried,  and  the  city  entered  from  that  point."  General  Santa  Anna 
commanded  in  person  at  the  garita,  until  he  no  longer  hoped  to  save 
it,  when  he  repaired  to  that  at  San  Cosme,  "there  to  try  his  fortune 
against  General  Worth." 

"  On  our  approach  to  the  garita,  a  body  of  the  enemy,  who  were 
seen  on  a  cross-road  threatening  our  left,  were  dispersed  by  a  brisk 
fire  of  artillery,  from  the  direction  of  the  San  Cosme  road.  I  take 
pleasure  in  acknowledging  that  this  seasonable  aid  came  from  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Duncan's  battery,  which  had  been  kindly  advanced 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  125 

from  the  San  Cosme  road  in  that  direction,  by  General  Worth's 
orders. " 

The  capture  of  the  garita  by  no  means  stopped  the  fight.  Our 
heavy  ammunition  was  soon  expended ;  the  enemy,  perceiving  which, 
"  redoubled  their  exertions  to  drive  us  out  of  the  lodgment  we  had 
effected.  A  terrible  fire  of  artillery  and  small-arms  was  opened 
from  the  citadel,  three  hundred  yards  distant,  from  the  batteries  on 
the  Paseo,  and  the  buildings  on  our  right,  in  front.  Amid  this  iron 
shower,  which  swept  the  road  on  both  sides  of  the  aqueduct,  it  was 
impossible  to  bring  forward  ammunition  for  our  large  guns.  While 
awaiting  the  darkness  to  bring  up  our  great  guns  and  place  them  in 
battery,  the  enemy,  under  cover  of  their  guns,  attempted  several 
sallies  from  the  citadel  and  the  buildings  on  the  right,  but  were 
readily  repulsed  by  the  skirmishing  parties  of  rifles  and  infantry. 
To  prevent  our  flank  from  being  enfiladed  by  musketry  from  the 
Paseo,  Captains  Naylor  and  Loeser,  2d  Pennsylvania  regiment,  were 
ordered  with  their  companies  to  a  low  sand-bag  defence,  about  one 
hundred  yards  in  that  direction.  They  gallantly  took  this  position, 
and  held  it  in  the  face  of  a  severe  fire,  until  the  object  was  attained. 
At  night  the  fire  of  the  enemy  ceased."  At  dawn  of  day  a  white 
flag  was  brought  General  Quitman,  surrendering  to  him  that  for 
tress,  while  "Captain  Steptoe  was  preparing  his  heavy  missiles,"  &c. 

A  single  extract  from  the  report  of  Captain  Magruder,  of  the  3d 
artillery,  showing  the  spirit  of  the  enemy  with  whom  we  had  to 
contend,  may  be  allowed  to  close  the  excerpts,  perhaps  too  freely 
used,  in  the  preceding  pages.  It  is  to  record  what  he  calls  "a 
miserable  trick,  which,  upon  this  occasion,  might  have  created  much 
inconvenience  to  my  battery.  Soon  after  the  re-entrance  of  the 
cavalry  (driven  back  to  their  entrenchments  by  the  battery),  a 
Mexican  was  seen  running  from  the  forts  to  us,  and  shouting. 
The  officers  and  men  naturally  crowded  into  the  open  space  to  re 
ceive  him,  or  hear  what  he  had  to  say,  when  one  of  our  officers,  who 
had  been  at  Monterey,  came  up,  and  recognising  the  trick,  explained 
it  in  a  moment, — the  object  of  the  enemy  being  that  we  should 
crowd  forward,  attracted  by  this  appeal  to  our  sympathy  on  the  part 
of  a  deserter,  and  when  a  sufficient  number  should  be  collected  thus 

11* 


126  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

together,  without  formation  or  order,  in  a  spot  of  which  he  had 
measured  his  range,  to  explode  his  shells  in  rapid  succession  and 
to  destroy  us.  The  troops,  however,  were  forthwith  ordered  to  their 
posts ;  and  I  had  barely  time  to  have  the  caissons  and  limbers  re 
moved  further  to  the  rear,  when  three  or  four  shells  burst,  very 
rapidly,  in  the  centre  of  the  section,  fortunately  without  any  mate 
rial  injury  to  it — wounding,  however,  in  two  places,  an  officer  of  the 
15th,  who  was  temporarily  on  duty  with  it." 

Like  the  mines  at  Chapultepec,  the  trick,  without  hurting  our 
people,  only  served  to  show  the  low  resources  to  which  the  great 
army  of  Mexico  was  driven  by  a  mere  handful  of  brave  men,  led  on 
by  skilful  and  scientific  officers. 


LETTER  XXVII. 

Amusements  versus  War — Supposed  Causes  of  Fatality  among  the  Wounded 
— Looking  for  a  Boarding-house — Take  Meals  at  a  French  Hotel,  in  the 
Street  of  the  Holy  Ghost — Earthquake — Followed  by  Sea-sickness — Gene 
ral  Quitman  made  Civil  and  Military  Governor — Martial  Law — Pillage 
not  allowed — A  Contribution  levied — Humane  disposition  of  it. 

City  of  Mexico,  October,  1847. 

A  FORTNIGHT  after  getting  into  quarters,  the  dangers  and  hard 
ships  of  the  battle-field  were  rarely  recurred  to,  and  all  the  great 
and  stirring  events  that  occurred  since  we  reached  this  valley  seemed 
to  be  gliding,  among  the  actors,  into  the  realms  of  oblivion.  But 
we  know  that  a  great  reacting  swell  will  one  day  return  here  from 
our  country  and  the  world,  and  that  the  details  so  familiar,  and  trite 
even,  on  the  field  of  action,  will  resound  through  the  regions  of  all 
civilized  nations.  Few,  however,  I  believe,  think  much,  either  of 
the  past  or  future ;  the  temptations  of  a  great  capital  are  daily  un 
folding  themselves,  and  young  and  old  join  in  the  pursuit  of  plea 
sure.  The  hospitals  alone  show  that  we  came  here  on  no  holiday 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  127 

excursion ;  and  many  a  good  fellow,  whose  heart  is  panting  for  out 
door  enjoyment,  has  to  lie  patiently  on  his  rough  couch,  waiting  for 
time  and  the  doctor  to  repair  his  " shivered  timbers."  A  good 
number  of  wounded  died  after  reaching  the  hospitals,  as  much  from 
previous  exposure  and  frequent  changes  of  place,  as  from  the  vio 
lence  of  their  wounds.  The  fatality,  indeed,  caused  many  of  the 
men  to  believe  that  the  Mexicans  had  used  poisoned  weapons,  but 
without  sufficient  reason,  as  the  deaths  bore  no  unusual  proportion 
to  the  injuries  inflicted,  allowing  for  the  circumstances.  It  was  ex 
tensively  circulated  and  believed  that  the  Mexicans  used  copper 
balls,  with  what  truth  I  know  not;  but  a  canister  shot  I  picked 
up  at  Chapultepec,  and  supposed  to  be  copper,  was  in  fact  bell- 
metal,  and  was  probably  converted  into  its  present  use  from  motives 
of  expediency  or  necessity  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  and  not  with 
the  barbarous  intent  of  inflicting  poisonous  wounds. 

When  not  engaged  in  professional  duties,  which  are  still  quite 
onerous,  I  have  generally  passed  my  time  in  search  of  a  quiet  abode, 
where,  domesticated  with  a  respectable  family,  I  could  cultivate  the 
language,  and  gain  an  insight  into  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
people,  as  shown  in  private  life.  The  search  has  been  useless,  how 
ever  y  no  resident  family,  of  moderate  respectability,  appears  to  be 
willing  to  admit  inmates  upon  anything  like  the  footing  of  boarders. 
I  had  at  length  to  take  to  the  dernier  ressort,  of  "  mine  inn,"  where, 
with  some  friends,  we  enjoy  a  very  pleasant,  though  somewhat  ex 
pensive,  mess,  under  the  supervision  of  a  taut  and  tidy  French 
woman.  We  are  living  in  hired  quarters,  near  the  barracks,  and  at 
some  distance  from  the  fonda ;  which  last  has  not  only  the  recom 
mendation  of  a  rosy-cheeked,  bright-eyed  landlady,  balancing  about 
on  the  meridian  of  eight-and-twenty,  but  it  is  remarkable  for  its 
cleanliness  and  the  excellence  of  the  table.  If  ever  you  come  to 
Mexico,  that  you  may  find  it  without  difficulty,  proceed  to  Holy 
Grhost  Street  (Calle  del  Espiritu  Santo),  and  look  out  for  the  Bazaar 
de  Grandes  Muebles ;  enter  the  clean  and  spacious  court  thereat, 
and  ascend  the  broad  stairway,  at  the  head  of  which  you  will  be  met 
by  Madame,  all  smiles,  who,  for  the  moderate  sum  of  seven  dollars 
a  week,  will  give  you  daily  breakfast  and  dinner,  and  a  splendid  one 


128  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

too ;  but  you  must  pay  as  much  more  for  lodgings,  and  trifling  extras 
will  triple  the  first  charge.  You  cannot  miss  the  place,  as  every 
shop  almost  in  the  street  belongs  to  El  Espiritu  Santo  ;  thus  we 
have  the  Holy  Spirit's  Tailor  Shop,  (Sastreria  del  Espiritu  Santo ,) 
The  Holy  Spirit's  Shoemaker  Shop,  (Zapateria  del  Espiritu  Santo,} 
&c.,  all  in  one  vicinity. 

Our  people  were  much  startled  one  fine  morning  not  long  since, 
by  the  occurrence  of  an  earthquake  of  some  violence,  though  by  no 
means  a  first-rate  specimen.  Yet  it  was  enough ;  many  of  us,  in 
cluding  myself,  were  made  deadly  sea-sick,  before  we  had  time  to 
imagine  the  cause  of  it.  I  did  not  believe  my  own  senses,  that  the 
massive  walls  before  me  were  in  motion,  but  thought  the  apparent 
motion  was  owing  to  some  unaccountable  dizziness  that  had  seized 
me,  and  that  I  was  reeling,  as  was  probably  the  case.  But  shouts 
of  "  Earthquake  !"  from  the  men,  and  the  sight  of  hundreds  of  pros 
trate  and  kneeling  Mexicans  in  the  streets,  soon  explained  the  case. 
The  heaving  of  the  earth  made  on  me  exactly  such  impression  as  is 
made  by  a  heavy  ground  swell  at  sea ;  and  many  complained  that  it 
left  upon  them  a  quasi  sea-sickness  for  several  days.  The  city  would 
probably  have  been  levelled  to  the  ground  long  before  this,  but  that 
it  stands  on  a  soggy  soil,  that  checks  the  vibrations  of  the  earth,  like 
the  deadening  of  elasticity  by  a  pith  ball,  suspended  between  those 
of  ivory.  I  was  told  that  upon  the  first  shock,  while  the  Mexicans 
ran  out  to  pray,  many  of  our  troops  ran  instinctively  to  their  arms. 

General  Quitman,  the  able  and  gallant  commander  of  the  volunteer 
division,  was  appointed  by  the  Commander-in-chief,  civil  and  military 
governor  of  the  city,  very  soon  after  our  possession.  Martial  law 
prevails,  and  plunder  and  pillage,  that  some  thought  the  lawful  right 
of  the  victorious  army,  are  most  strictly  forbidden.  The  regulation 
appears  to  me  equally  just  and  wise;  just,  because  the  city  surrendered 
promptly  and  unconditionally,  as  soon  as  freed  of  the  army  that  en 
slaved  it ;  wise,  because  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  had 
the  troops  been  allowed  to  load  themselves  with  plunder,  it  would 
have  led  to  a  great  increase  of  immorality  in  the  army,  to  the  sub 
version  of  discipline,  and  probably  enough  to  utter  destruction.  The 
courage  and  bearing  of  the  army  are  above  all  question ;  it  has  achieved 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  129 

more  than  wonders.  During  the  late  actions  it  caused  a  loss  to  the 
enemy,  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners  taken,  equal  to  its  own 
complement  at  its  fullest,  that  is,  of  between  ten  and  eleven  thou 
sand  persons,  besides  dispersing  many  times  that  number,  in  addi 
tion.  Upon  entering  this  city,  of  near  200,000  inhabitants,  it  pro 
bably  numbered  but  little  over  5000  duty  men,  for  we  had  an 
immense  number  of  sick,  besides  the  killed,  wounded,  and  missing. 
Wisdom  and  moderation  were  therefore  eminently  necessary,  and  both 
demanded  that  we  should  not  exasperate  the  citizens  by  robbing 
them,  on  the  one  hand,  nor  receive  among  us  the  certain  seeds  of 
destruction  on  the  other.  The  conquering  Spaniards,  who  preceded 
us  here,  three  hundred  years  ago,  were  nearly  brought  to  annihila 
tion  by  their  ill-gotten  wealth ;  Hannibal  lost  Rome  by  the  corrup 
tion  sown  in  his  army  while  revelling  in  the  spoils  of  Italy ;  the 
wary  Alexander  led  his  Greeks  to  endless  conquest  by  making  a 
bonfire  of  their  riches  gained  in  war,  first  throwing  in  his  own. 

General  Scott  allowed  no  plunder,  but  he  demanded  of  the  autho 
rities  a  moderate  contribution  of  $150,000,  to  be  paid  in  four  instal 
ments,  of  which  sum  he  made  the  following  humane  distribution : 
"  Seventy  thousand  dollars  shall  be  appropriated  to  the  purchase  of 
extra  comforts  for  the  sick  and  wounded  in  hospitals ;  ninety  thou 
sand  dollars  to  the  purchase  of  blankets  and  shoes  for  gratuitous 
distribution  among  the  rank  and  file  of  the  army ;  and  forty  thousand 
dollars  reserved  for  other  necessary  military  purposes." 


130 


LETTER    XXVIII. 

New  Quarters — The  City  not  on  Dry  Land— Brackish  Water — Drinking 
Water — Aguadores — Amusements — El  Teatro  National — Paseo — Alameda 
— Renewing  Acquaintance — A  Repast  of  Sweetmeats — Mexico  Travestied 
— The  Leperos  or  Greasers — Marriage  truly  de  convenance. 

City  of  Mexico,  October,  1847. 

MY  rooms  are  now  in  the  Catte  del  Puente  de,  Jesus  (Street  of 
the  Bridge  of  Jesus),  and  are  comparatively  very  comfortable. 
We  occupied  hitherto,  officers  and  men,  quarters  at  the  Escuela 
Militar,  a  recently  evacuated  military  college,  held,  however,  by 
regular  troops  during  our  approach  to  the  city ;  we  found  it, 
like  all  other  Mexican  barracks,  filthy  in  the  extreme,  and  swarm 
ing  with  vermin.  As  the  officers  had  not  sufficient  room,  we  left 
there,  a  portion  of  us,  rejoicing,  hiring  our  present  rooms  through 
the  quartermaster.  It  is  malum  proliibitum,  to  occupy  private 
quarters  except  by  permission  of  the  occupants  or  owners,  who  re 
ceive  a  fair  rent.  This  street,  as  many  others,  is  called  of  the  Bridge, 
because,  in  former  days,  bridges  and  boats  were  required  in  nearly 
all  parts  of  the  city,  and  the  name  is  retained,  though  the  bridge 
has  long  since  given  way  to  a  low,  substantial  pavement.  Its  sacred 
designation,  which  sounds  so  irreverent  in  our  ears,  is  less  so  appa 
rently,  according  to  the  Spanish  pronunciation,  Hai-soos.  The  city 
was  formerly  very  subject  to  inundations  during  the  overflow  of  the 
neighbouring  lakes ;  the  immense  drain,  however,  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  works  of  the  kind  in  the  world,  now  saves  it  from  such 
inflictions ;  still,  it  stands  on  but  a  crust  of  made  soil,  and  a  hole 
dug  anywhere  to  the  depth  of  three  or  four  feet,  finds  brackish 
water.  The  drinking  water  is  brought  from  a  distance,  (the  nearest 
from  Chapultepec,)  by  the  aqueducts  so  often  mentioned,  that  enter 
by  Belen  and  San  Cosme.  There  are  abundant  fountains  in  various 
parts  of  the  city,  supplied  byt  he  aqueducts;  and  a  set  of  men 
(aguadores),  water-carriers  by  profession,  furnish  families  with  the 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  131 

precious  fluid,  which  they  carry  in  huge  earthen  jars,  suspended 
from  the  head  by  straps,  and  balanced,  the  larger  one  in  front  by 
the  lesser  between  the  shoulders.  Two  or  three  clacos,  (eight  clacos 
to  the  real,  or  12 i  cents,)  will  procure  a  day's  supply. 

Amusements  are  abundant  now;  more  abundant,  to  my  taste, 
than  attractive.  The  city  has  five  theatres, — the  National,  for 
instance  (lately  de  Santa  Anna,  but  judiciously  rechristened  as 
his  star  was  sinking),  is  among  the  first  in  the  world,  and  only 
surpassed  perhaps  in  size  and  magnificence  by  the  Scala,  at  Milan, 
the  San  Carlos,  at  Naples,  the  Tacon,  at  Havana,  and  one  or  two 
others.  There  are  now  engaged  fragments  of  various  companies, 
Italian  Opera,  French,  Spanish,  and  American  actors,  whose  prin 
cipal  business  is  to  amuse  our  army.  I  attended  once  or  twice,  but 
finding  only  a  military  audience,  familiar  faces,  I  determined  to  wait 
until  the  good  people  of  the  city  chose  to  display  there  their  hand 
some  features.  Sunday  is  the  great  day  for  amusements;  the 
theatre,  circus  (a  company  came  with  the  army  from  the  States), 
bull-fights,  and  other  diversions,  are  in  full  operation.  The  Paseo,  a 
beautiful  drive,  like  an  ancient  race-course,  straight  for  nearly  a 
mile,  shaded  with  young  trees  on  both  sides,  with  sidewalks  and 
stone  seats,  its  bubbling  fountains  adorned  with  sculptured  figures, 
is  frequented  daily  by  the  wealthy  residents,  in  coaches  and  on 
horseback.  On  Sunday,  however,  when  the  sun  is  disappearing  in 
the  western  horizon,  it  is  absolutely  crowded,  and  is  the  best  place 
for  seeing  the  fair  and  fashionable  of  Mexico.  The  Alameda,  a 
beautiful  park  near  the  Paseo,  is  laid  out  in  smooth  walks  diverging 
in  rays  from  equidistant  fountains;  noble  old  trees  shade  the  walks, 
and  the  intervening  plots  are  of  bright  green  grass,  enamelled  with 
shrubs  and  flowers.  But  walking  is  not  fashionable  in  Mexico ;  so 
the  Alameda  is  generally  relinquished  to  the  French  modistas  (dress 
makers,  &c.),  and  others,  who  are  too  poor  to  breathe  the  aristocratic 
dust  of  the  Paseo  from  their  coach  windows. 

From  my  engagements,  I  did  not  immediately  look  up  my  friends 
from  San  Augustin,  but  latterly  have  spent  several  pleasant  even 
ings  with  them.  The  old  gentleman  is  an  oracle  of  Spanish  and 
Mexican  history.  His  favourite  topic  is,  of  course,  the  Peninsular 


132  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

war,  in  which  he  played  a  part  in  his  fourth  act  of  the  seven  ages. 
He  is  a  widower,  but  his  two  sons  with  their  families  live  in  adjoin 
ing  houses ;  they  are  very  polite  and  gentlemanly,  and  their  wives, 
no  longer  strangers,  are  refined  and  handsome  women.  Mexican 
ladies  appear  to  live  on  dulces  (sweetmeats),  and  this  appears  not 
only  in  the  sweetness  of  their  dispositions,  but  always  on  their 
evening  tables.  The  mode  is,  to  dine  about  five  o'clock,  then  to 
drive  to  the  Paseo,  and  upon  the  return,  when  it  is  quite  dark,  to 
take  a  course  of  dulces  and  chocolate.  I  was  invited  to  one  of  these 
repasts  a  few  evenings  ago ;  there  was  a  beautiful  display  of  cut 
glass  and  silver,  and  sweetmeats  enough  for  a  regiment  of  Ame 
ricans.  There  was  a  variety  of  fine  wines  and  liqueurs,  some  sand 
wiches,  imported  cheese,  bread,  cakes,  and  the  unfailing  chocolate. 
I  certainly  never  saw  more  beautiful  sweetmeats,  nor  tasted  finer ; 
but  my  Virginia  taste  dwelt  on  the  few  substantiate  present,  and  I 
punished  most  the  Gralicia  ham  and  the  rich,  fragrant  Xeres  (sherry) 
that  flanked  it.  I  knew  my  bearings  with  them.  La  Senora  graced 
the  head  of  the  table. 

Mexico  has  undergone  somewhat  the  same  external  revolution  as 
the  other  cities  through  which  our  army  has  passed.  Thus,  all 
public  and  prominent  places  are  frequented  by  crowds  of  our  country 
men  ;  tavern  and  store  signs  announce  American  occupation ;  so  that 
a  stranger,  let  down  among  us  without  a  knowledge  of  recent  events, 
would  be  sadly  puzzled  to  know  into  whose  kingdom  he  had 
fallen.  The  republican  flag  of  the  stars  and  stripes  waves  over  the 
(once)  vice-regal  palace ;  the  Anglo-Saxon  tongue  prevails  therein ; 
but  without  is  a  medley,  in  which  a  modified  idiom  of  the  Castilian 
predominates.  Besides,  the  houses  are  all  Spanish ;  the  iron-grated 
windows  are  a  sufficient  proof  of  that ;  and  a  mongrel,  motley  race, 
swarming  in  the  streets,  make  it  plain  that  the  town  is  not  what  we 
call  American.  These  are  the  leperos  (or  lazzaroni,  in  Italy),  a  half- 
naked  set  of  mestizos,  with  brown  hides,  blackened  by  dirt  and  sun, 
whose  profession  consists,  sometimes,  of  a  little  honest  labour,  enough 
to  eke  out  their  gains  by  begging  and  robbery.  They  are  probably 
the  lowest  people  in  the  civilized  world,  with  no  ideas  of  decency  or 
morality.  Marriage  is  rarely  practised  among  them,  except  fuera 


A  MIXED  DISH  PROM  MEXICO.  133 

de  la  iglesia,  or  behind  the  church.  I  have  been  told  by  an  intel 
ligent  citizen,  that  for  one  couple  married,  a  hundred  live  together 
without  the  ceremony.  It  is  in  sheer  contempt  of  morals,  for  while 
considerable  fees  are  paid  to  the  church  for  the  marriage  of  people 
in  high  life,  the  poor  have  but  little  to  pay,  and  the  very  poor 
nothing.  The  marriages  are  truly  de  convenance;  a  man  hires  him 
self  to  a  gentleman  as  porter,  or  other  servant,  marries  one  of  the 
maids,  and  remains  her  faithful  and  attached  husband  until  he 
changes  his  abode,  and  generally  no  longer.  These  worthy  people, 
known  as  greasers  among  the  Americans,  constitute  a  large  propor 
tion  of  the  citizens  of  this  fair  metropolis. 


LETTER  XXIX. 

A  Returning  Train — The  Grand  Plaza  —  Cathedral  —  Palace — Shops — A 
Triumphal  Column — Grave  Toys — Climate — An  Excursion  to  Guadalupe 
— A  Miraculous  Painting — The  Cathedral — A  Generous  Host — Distribu 
tion  of  the  Volunteer  Division. 

City  of  Mexico,  November,  1847. 

On  the  1st  inst.  (Fiesta  de  todos  los  Santos),  a  considerable  train 
left  here  for  the  great  depot  at  Vera  Cruz,  and  with  it  many  distin 
guished  officers  (including  Major-General  Quitman),  who  returned 
to  the  United  States  on  account  of  impaired  health,  wounds,  or  for 
private  reasons.  When  the  numerous  wagons,  ambulances,  travellers, 
soldiers,  horse  and  foot,  music,  &c.,  were  assembled  in  the  grand 
plaza,  and  the  line  was  seen  forming,  and  extending,  and  slowly 
receding  from  the  sight,  and  we  bid  adieu  to  the  homeward  bound, 
many  a  stout  heart  had  to  acknowledge  the  sinking  that  marks  nos 
talgia,  a  disease  that  has  no  pathology,  and  yet  that  has  proved  so 
often  fatal.  After  a  alast  fond  look,"  I  turned  to  walk  around  the 
now  half  deserted,  but  never  lonely  plaza.  It  is  a  noble  square, 
presenting  perhaps  a  thousand  feet  on  every  side.  On  the  north  is 

12 


134  EL  PUCHEEO,  OR 

the  immense  cathedral,  with  its  walls  highly  ornamented  with  figures 
in  stucco,  carving,  and  gilding ;  its  pilasters  and  towers,  its  domes 
and  turrets,  and  its  deep,  rich,  musical  bells,  whose  full  tones  first 
rouse  the  drowsy  citizens  from  their  slumbers  in  the  early  watches 
of  the  morning,  cheer  at  intervals  their  daily  labours,  and  warn 
them  of  the  hours  of  rest  in  the  stillness  of  the  night.  On  the  east 
is  the  palace,  a  long,  unpretending  edifice,  much  more  republican  in 
appearance  than  name ;  it  occupies  a  square,  fronting  only  on  the 
plaza,  and  embraces  at  once  the  executive  mansion,  the  halls  of  the 
legislature,  the  supreme  court  of  justice,  and,  in  rear,  the  mint.  On 
.the  south  and  west  are  long  portales,  giving  shelter  to  numerous  small 
venders,  who  plant  their  tables  and  stalls  against  the  columns,  while 
the  rooms  in  rear,  on  the  ground  floor,  rejoice  generally  in  the  gaudy 
ornaments  of  fancy  stores.  The  upper  apartments  are  private  dwell 
ings.  In  the  centre  of  the  plaza  stands  the  pedestal  of  what  is  to 
be  a  great  triumphal  column,  which,  when  completed  (if  ever),  will 
be  unsurpassed  in  America.  The  design  is  to  be  seen  in  the  print- 
shops.  To  complete  the  beauty  of  the  plaza,  four  large  fountains, 
throwing  up  lofty  jets  d'eau,  are  to  be  placed  intermediate  between 
the  column  and  the  angles. 

On  All  Souls'  Day,  the  tables  in  the  portales  were  more  than 
usually  laden  with  toys  for  the  children,  but  of  an  unusual  kind, 
and  commemorative  of  the  occasion.  Thus,  the  little  ones  were  re 
galed  with  deaths'  heads,  and  cross-bones,  of  sugar,  tombs,  monu 
ments,  urns,  and  other  mementos  of  the  destroyer  that  knows  no 
mercy. 

We  find  this  climate  somewhat  overrated;  we  have  had  many 
days  of  raw,  damp,  cheerless  weather,  more  disagreeable,  and  more 
injurious  too,  than  a  much  greater  degree  of  dry  cold.  During  a  spell 
of  the  former,  in  October,  there  was  great  mortality  among  chronic 
cases  of  disease ;  and  wounds  that  had  been  doing  well  previously, 
broke  out  afresh,  and  in  some  cases  proved  fatal.  Yet  the  general 
uniformity  of  the  climate  is  so  great,  that,  from  all  I  can  learn,  that 
terrible  scourge  of  the  more  varying  regions  of  the  North,  tubercular 
phthisis,  is  here  almost  unknown.*  The  mean  annual  temperature 

*  There  is  perhaps  no  part  of  the  world  more  free  from  tubercular  con 
sumption  than  the  interior  of  Mexico. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  135 

of  the  tierras  friaSj  upon  which  we  stand,  is  given  at  63°  F.,  but 
there  is  considerable  variation,  as  in  winter  there  is  sometimes  frost, 
though  rarely.  There  is  no  provision  whatever  made  against  cold, 
except  in  the  thickness  of  the  walls ;  fire-places  and  chimneys  are 
unknown ;  but  during  a  cold  spell  the  brasero  is  introduced  with  a 
glowing  fire  of  charcoal. 

I  took  passage  a  few  days  ago,  with  some  friends,  in  a  diligencia, 
to  the  renowned  village  of  Gruadalupe,  a  place  of  no  small  note  in 
Mexico,  as  the  seat  of  the  miraculous  appearance  of  Nuestra  Senora 
to  a  poor  Indian,  who  was  pursuing  his  lonely  way  over  the  rugged 
mountain.  Every  writer  on  Mexico  gives  the  details  as  an  item  of 
the  national  history,  so  I  shall  only  trouble  you  with  the  following 
outline,  as  currently  stated  in  the  country.  Nuestra  Senora  showed 
herself  to  the  Indian,  gave  him  some  instructions,  and  directed  him 
to  report  what  he  saw  and  heard  to  the  metropolitan  bishop.  In 
obedience  to  his  instructions,  he  repaired  to  the  bishop,  who  paid 
no  attention  to  the  account  he  gave ;  a  second  appearance  and  a 
second  message  met  with  the  same  incredulity  and  indifference.  Our 
lady  appeared  a  third  time  to  the  Indian,  and  directed  him  to  gather 
some  of  the  flowers  at  his  feet  (on  a  rugged  rock,  where  not  even  a 
blade  of  grass  had  ever  been  seen  before),  to  wrap  them  in  his  coarse 
apron  of  ayate,  and  carry  them  to  the  bishop,  with  instructions  as 
before. 

The  man  obeyed  faithfully,  told  the  bishop  what  had  occurred, 
and  mentioned  the  wonderful  growth  of  the  flowers ;  when  the  bishop 
asked  for  them,  the  Indian  unfolded  his  apron,  when,  instead  of 
flowers,  a  painting  of  the  blessed  donor,  of  surpassing  loveliness,  was 
found  on  this  rough  canvass. 

The  bishop  immediately  erected  a  chapel  in  commemoration  on 
the  rock  where  the  flowers  were  found.  The  first  chapel,  though 
not  small,  was  soon  found  not  capacious  enough  for  the  thousands 
of  devout  pilgrims  who  thronged  to  the  shrine,  so  a  magnificent 
cathedral  and  a  spacious  convent  rose  at  the  foot  of  the  hill ;  and 
the  obscure  G-uadalupe  was  elevated  to  the  dignity  of  an  episcopal 
see.  The  cathedral  church  is  among  the  handsomest  I  have  ever 
seen ;  its  proportions  are  vast,  without  being  colossal,  and  though 


136  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

highly  adorned,  the  ornaments  are  all  in  good  taste,  and  well 
arranged.  The  church  is  extremely  rich  and  abounds  in  the  pre 
cious  metals.  A  large  balustrade,  three  feet  high,  of  pure  silver, 
encloses  the  grand  altar,  and  extends  on  either  side  of  a  passage-way 
in  the  body  of  the  church  to  the  choir,  a  distance  of  perhaps  forty 
feet.  The  wonderful  painting  is  suspended  over  the  grand  altar. 
There  are  many  paintings  and  models  on  the  walls,  deposited  by 
pious  persons,  commemorating  miraculous  cures  obtained  (they  say) 
through  the  intercession  of  Nuestra  Senora.  On  the  hillside  is  a 
stone  wall,  built  to  resemble  the  sails  of  a  ship,  erected  there  by  a 
Spaniard,  in  acknowledgment  of  her  assistance  in  rescuing  him  from 
shipwreck.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill  is  a  sacred  fountain,  muddy  to 
the  sight  and  disagreeable  to  the  taste,  but  it  has  some  medicinal 
properties,  perhaps  from  containing  salts  of  iron,  and  all  pilgrims 
drink  of  it.  A  kind  publican  took  us  to  his  house ;  we  ordered 
refreshments  pretty  freely,  and  we  were  not  a  little  surprised  when 
he  refused  all  compensation.  He  was  by  birth  a  Corsican,  but  having 
resided  in  Philadelphia,  he  looked  upon  the  United  States  as  his 
adopted  country.  The  bishop  is  said  to  be  "  an  humble,  simple- 
hearted  old  man,  whose  only  pride  and  pleasure  appeared  to  be  that 
he  was  the  familiar  servant  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  Guadalupe." 

Having  taken  leave  of  our  kind  host,  we  hired  a  cocAe,  and  the 
driver,  mounted  as  usual  on  the  near  mule,  feeling  elated  perhaps 
at  the  prospect  of  an  extra  real  from  the  lively  Americanos,  drove, 
or  rode  like  mad,  to  the  city,  offering  no  chance  to  the  gentle 
men  of  the  road,  who  so  often  delay  travellers  outside  of  the  city 
gates. 

When  G-eneral  Quitman  retired  from  the  command,  his  division, 
which  reflected  honour  on  him  as  it  received  it  from  him,  was  dis 
tributed.  The  sturdy  sons  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  were 
assigned  to  General  Worth ;  the  chivalrous  Palmettos  and  the  gal 
lant  Marines  to  General  Twiggs. 


GENERAL   TW1GGS 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  137 


LETTER    XXX. 


The  Cathedral — Less  Ornamented  than  formerly — Numerous  Chapels — 
Want  of  Cleanliness — The  Churches  of  the  Profesa  and  St.  Francis — 
Padres — On  the  Mission — General  Character  of  Mexican  Clergy — The  Bad 
most  Conspicuous — A  Remarkable  Brotherhood — Wants  a  Counterpart. 

City  of  Mexico,  November,  1847. 

ON  Sunday  I  attended  misa  mayor  (nigh  mass),  at  the  Cathedral, 
where  one  may  generally  hear  some  good  music.  This  immense 
edifice  is  full  of  costly  ornaments,  though  its  riches  are  probably 
overrated.  It  is  true,  that  before  our  arrival,  many  precious  articles 
were  removed  for  fear  of  pillage ;  and  that  the  government  has  from 
time  to  time  levied  heavy  contributions  on  the  sacred  ornaments  of 
gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones,  to  fill  the  empty  treasury  (or  the 
pockets  of  the  empleados),  so  that  former  accounts,  which  were 
truthful  in  their  day,  perhaps,  are  not  so  now.  The  much-vaunted 
balustrade  of  gold  alloyed  with  silver,  does  not  contain  one  particle 
of  either ;  or  it  belies  its  looks  and  smell,  which  savours  more  of  the 
brazen  serpent  than  of  the  golden  calf.  On  the  grand  altar  is  an 
immense  tabernacle  of  silver ;  but  gilding,  carving,  and  bronze,  are 
much  more  abundant.  The  first  object  presenting  itself  on  entering 
the  building  is  an  enclosure  for  the  musicians,  between  two  immense 
organs,  in  the  body  of  the  church,  each  of  which  exceeds  thirty  feet 
in  height.  The  next  object  is  the  high  altar,  surrounded  by  the 
famed  balustrade,  which,  leaving  a  passage-way  enclosed  by  it,  con 
nects  the  choir  and  sanctuary.  There  are  between  twenty  and  thirty 
altars  in  the  church,  ten,  I  think,  on  each  side  of  the  nave,  shut  out 
from  it  by  handsome  gilt  open-work,  so  that  they  may  be  all  seen, 
in  succession,  each  altar  being  in  a  separate  apartment  or  chapel. 
Withal,  the  Cathedral*  is  not  attractive  generally,  because  it  lacks 

*  An  exterior  ornament  of  the  Cathedral,  the  great  calendar  stone  of  the 
Aztecs,  attracts  always  the  attention  of  the  antiquary.  The  Aztecs,  it  is 

12* 


138  EL  PUCHERO,  OB 

the  air  of  neatness,  tidiness,  or  comfort ;  there  are  no  pews,  and  the 
rough  wooden  floor  is  neglected  and  dirty.  Things  are  different  at  the 
church  of  the  Prof  eta-,  where  cleanliness  and  taste  are  conspicuous. 
That,  and  the  church  at  the  Convent  of  St.  Francis,  are  the  most 
frequented  by  the  ton  of  Mexico ;  the  Cathedral  is  generally  aban 
doned  to  the  humbler  classes,  except  on  great  occasions.  I  may 
remark  that  the  padres  of  the  Profesa  and  San  Francisco  bear  the 
best  private  characters  of  any  of  the  regular  clergy  of  this  city ;  the 
former,  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  are  allied  to  the  Jesuits;  who, 
though  banished  from  Mexico,  were  perhaps  the  most  exemplary 
labourers  ever  employed  in  this  vineyard.  It  was  for  that  reason, 
probably,  that  they  were  expelled.  The  Franciscans  contested  the 
palm  with  them  especially  upon  the  missionary  field.  Other 
orders  were  less  successful.  "  The  first  missions  of  old  California 
were  formed  in  1698,  by  the  Jesuits.  Under  the  management  of 
these  fathers,  the  savages  had  abandoned  their  wandering  life.  In 
the  midst  of  arid  rocks,  of  brushwood  and  bramble,  they  had  culti 
vated  little  spots  of  ground,  had  built  houses  and  erected  chapels, 
when  a  decree/'  &c.,  banished  them  from  Spanish  dominions.  The 
governor  who  was  to  carry  out  the  decree,  expected  to  meet  an  army 
of  their  proselytes  armed  to  defend  them.  "  Far  from  this  being 
the  case,  however,  he  beheld  only  venerable  priests,  with  silver 
white  hair,  coming  humbly  forward  to  meet  him/'  "  The  Jesuits 
were  accompanied  to  the  place  of  their  embarkation  by  the  whole 
body  of  their  parishioners,  in  the  midst  of  sobs  and  exclamations  of 
sorrow/'  The  Franciscans  succeeded  them  with  success,  but  the 
Dominicans,  who  obtained  the  government  of  a  portion  of  the  mis 
sions,  "  either  neglected,  or  managed  them  unskilfully/'  i(  The 
Franciscans,  on  the  contrary,  constitute  the  happiness  of  the  In 
dians.  Their  simple  dwellings  have  a  most  picturesque  appearance. 
There  are  many  of  them  concealed  in  the  interior  of  the  country, 
far  from  military  posts ;  their  safety  is  insured  by  the  universal 
respect  and  love  with  which  they  are  treated." — Malte  Brun. 

generally  known,  calculated  time  with  more  accuracy  than  the  most  en 
lightened  nations  among  the  ancients ;  this  huge  stone  is  therefore  a  relic 
of  great  interest. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FEOM  MEXICO.  139 

It  would,  perhaps,  be  difficult  to  explain  why,  when  the  Jesuits 
were  expelled,  many  others  were  allowed  to  remain  in  quiet  posses 
sion,  who,  without  the  energy,  zeal,  or  learning  of  that  famous 
order,  were  not  free  from  their  imputed  faults.  Common  rumour 
has  a  great  deal  to  say  against  the  clergy  of  the  present  day,  who 
are  condemned  indiscriminately  by  most  travellers,  and  even  their 
own  countrymen  speak  of  their  faults  and  follies  without  reserve, 
though  they  say  there  are  many  good  and  exemplary  men  among 
them.  There  is  a  well-known  order  here,  once  distinguished  for 
practical  charities,  whose  lives  were  spent  in  such  duties  as  ransom 
ing  captives,  traversing  for  this  object  the  distant  and  hostile  soil 
of  the  infidel  and  heathen ;  now,  alas,  unless  belied,  their  lives,  in 
this  country,  are  as  scandalous  as  once  creditable  to  Christendom. 
In  thus  holding  up  the  character  of  these  frailes,  it  is  with  no  in 
tention  of  reflecting  on  the  religion  they  profess,  but  do  not  prac 
tise.  I  do  not  propose  to  discuss  the  national  faith  of  Mexico,  but 
the  national  customs  as  they  appear  to  me.  The  general  character 
of  the  clergy,  is  a  sufficient  proof  of  what,  to  the  American  requires 
no  proof — that  is,  that  the  connexion  of  church  and  state  is  recipro 
cally  detrimental.  A  church  glutted  with  temporal  riches,  naturally 
attracts  its  host  of  office-seekers,  whose  hearts  would  be  far  from  it, 
were  not  the  treasure  there.  One  remark  must,  in  justice,  be  made 
of  the  Mexican  clergy — a  remark  made  to  me  by  an  intelligent 
resident — the  idle  and  bad  are  always  most  prominent  to  strangers; 
while  the  virtuous  and  conscientious  quietly  pursue  their  course 
unseen. 

The  author  of  the  "  Year  in  Spain,"  gives  the  following  lively 
sketch  of  friars  he  had  seen :  "  Like  the  other  hermits  the  hermano 
mayor  wore  a  large  garment  of  coarse  brown  cloth,  girded  round  the 
middle  with  a  rope,  and  having  a  hood  for  the  head.  The  only 
covering  of  his  feet  consisted  of  a  coarse  shoe  of  half-tanned  leather." 
The  dress,  or  a  similar  one,  is  common  to  many  friars,  but,  "  as  he 
now  stood  before  me,  in  addition  to  the  effect  of  his  apostolic  gar 
ment,  his  complexion  and  his  eye  had  a  clearness  that  no  one  can 
conceive,  who  is  not  familiar  with  the  aspect  of  those  who  have 
practised  a  long  and  rigid  abstinence  from  animal  food,  and  every 


140  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

exciting  aliment.  It  gives  a  lustre,  a  spiritual  intelligence,  to  the 
countenance  that  has  something  saint-like  and  divine }  and  the  ad 
venturous  artist  who  would  essay  to  trace  the  lineaments  of  his 
Saviour  should  seek  a  model  in  some  convent  of  Trappists  or  Carthu 
sians,  or  in  the  ethereal  region  of  the  desert  of  Cordova." — (A  Year 
in  Spain.)  The  author  gives  a  most  interesting  account  of  a  visit  to  a 
brotherhood  at  the  place  just  mentioned,  where  the  brethren,  under 
the  superior  he  describes,  earn  an  humble  and  simple  livelihood  by 
faithful  manual  labour.  I  fear  that  worthy  fraternity  has  no  coun 
terpart  in  Mexico. 


LETTER  XXXI. 

First  News  from  Home — Madame  Calderon's  "  Life  in  Mexico" — Beggars — 
Robbers — Penalties  of  Wealth — Political  Misrule — A  Visit  to  Chapultepec 
— Cypress  of  Montezuma — A  Tertulia — Diversions — The  Women — Mystic 
Studies — Blue  Eyes — Social  Reserve — A  Murdered  Body. 

City  of  Mexico,  December,  1847. 

ON  the  18th  ultimo,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving,  for  the  first 
time,  a  mail,  bringing  letters  from  home.  The  dates  were  old,  but 
having  had  no  tidings  whatever,  since  leaving  Camp  Vergara,  on  the 
beach,  they  were  highly  acceptable.  You  may  conceive  the  happi 
ness,  and  misery  too,  perhaps,  diffused  by  the  arrival  of  a  large  mail 
among  such  a  number  of  people,  so  long  from  home ;  but  after  the 
first  glow  of  pleasurable  excitement,  when  the  letters  have  been  read 
and  re-read  until  every  little  item  of  detail  is  familiar,  there  succeeds 
a  melancholy  reaction,  because  one  feels  his  loneliness  and  desolation 
the  more,  as  the  home-scenes  are  now  brought  more  vividly  to  his 
memory.  Never  in  my  wanderings  do  I  feel  a  sadness  more  oppres 
sive  than  that  which  follows  even  the  most  cheerful  letters  from  the 
family  circle. 

I  have  lately  been  reading  Madame  Calderon's  "  Life  in  Mexico/'  a 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  141 

charming  work,  a  little  too  highly  coloured  perhaps ;  but  she  was 
here  under  the  most  favourable  circumstances,  and  if  everything 
appeared  to  her  "  couleur  de  rose,"  it  was  the  more  pleasant  for  her 
self,  and  the  more  entertaining  for  her  readers.  I  know  an  excellent 
couple  here,  who  first  met  at  the  grand  English  ball  mentioned  in 
the  work ;  the  lady  says  Mrs.  Calderon  does  great  injustice  to  the 
fair  sex  of  Mexico,  and  that  such  is  the  general  sentiment,  but  my 
opinion  is,  that  she  has  drawn  a  very  fair  picture  indeed. 

As  I  write,  I  have  to  stop  my  ears  to  shut  out  the  stentorian 
bawling  of  a  lusty  beggar,  who,  planted  across  the  way  opposite  my 
window,  has  kept  up  a  ceaseless  fire  on  the  passers-by  the  entire 
morning ;  he  invokes  alms  in  the  name  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  Gua- 
dalupe,  por  el  nombre  santissimo  de  Jesus,  and  of  all  the  saints  in 
the  calendar  j  and  though  his  words  are  pious  and  respectful,  his 
manner  indicates  that  he  has  the  will  to  take  vengeance,  vi  et  armis, 
on  all  who  neglect  to  drop  their  mite  into  his  ever-extended  palm. 
His  song  is  never  the  more  agreeable  for  preserving  always  the  same 
high  pitch,  without  cadence  or  inflection.  This  is  the  land  where 
beggars  and  robbers  are  in  the  ascendant,  par  excellence.  Madame 
Calderon  says,  and  I  have  no  doubt  justly,  that  the  leperos  consider 
begging  more  reputable  than  service ;  the  free  prowling  wolf,  before 
the  well-fed  mastiff,  with  his  chain  and  collar.  As  to  robberies, 
great  and  small,  they  are  perpetual ;  and  most  householders,  upon  re 
tiring,  have  their  loaded  fire-arms  at  the  head  of  the  bed.  Murder 
and  robbery  go  frequently  hand  in  hand,  and  this  blighted  country 
groans  in  the  depths  of  social  misery.  Wealthy  proprietors,  lords 
of  immense  estates,  have  told  me  they  would  sell  all  for  enough  to 
secure  a  most  moderate  income  in  other  lands ;  but  who  will  buy  ? 
They  are,  like  the  veriest  serfs,  chained  to  the  soil ;  the  rich  man  is 
doomed;  now  a  prey  to  a  rapacious  government,  now  the  victim 
of  ferocious  robbers,  against  whom  the  government  gives  him  no 
protection.  So  great  is  the  misery  of  the  better  classes,  that  many 
families  are  preparing  to  leave  for  ever  a  land,  where,  tantalized  by 
the  gifts  of  fortune,  they  have  found  nothing  but  dregs  of  bitterness. 
If  you  speak  to  a  wealthy  Mexican  of  peace,  he  shrugs  his  shoulders, 
and  sighs.  "In  your  happy  country/7  he  says,  "you  know  and 


142  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

enjoy  peace  ;  here,  alas  !  we  know  it  not,  nor  can  we  hope  to  know 
it.  Even  now,  overrun  by  a  conquering  army,  we  enjoy  more  tran 
quillity  than  under  the  government  of  our  own  factious  rulers,  when 
free  from  foreign  war." 

A  friend  and  myself  rode  out  some  days  ago  to  Chapultepec :  it 
is  a  beautiful  drive  of  three  miles,  and  a  favourite  resort  of  the 
Mexicans  when  making  2^  fete  champetre,  or  dia  de  campo.  I  have 
given  you  some  accounts  of  the  Castle,  which  is  remarkable,  among 
other  things,  for  offering  from  its  roof  one  of  the  finest  views  in  the 
world ;  but  not  to  the  building  do  the  pic-nic  parties  repair ;  there 
is,  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  a  grove  of  surpassing  magnificence ;  car 
peted  with  luxuriant  grass,  and  well  provided  with  rustic  benches. 
A  venerable  cypress,  known  to  be  at  least  four  hundred  years  old, 
and  that  is  still  flourishing,  attracts  great  attention;  Montezuma 
himself  has  reposed  in  the  shade  (sub  tegmine-cupressi)  of  its  wide 
spread  branches,  and  it  now  bears  his  name,  "The  Cypress  of 
Montezuma."  "  The  trunk  is  forty-one  feet  in  circumference,  yet 
the  height  is  so  majestic,  as  to  make  even  this  enormous  mass 
appear  slender." — (Ward.)  The  Castle  was  built  by  the  Viceroy, 
El  Conde  de  Galves  (who  gave  name  to  Galveston),  for  a  summer 
palace,  but  its  site  and  strength  drew  upon  him  the  suspicion  of  the 
Spanish  government;  and  his  palace  was  easily  converted,  by  the 
latter,  into  a  fortress.  No  despot  could  have  wished  a  more  elegant, 
or  a  more  safe  retreat. 

Returning,  in  the  evening,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  a  ter- 
tulia,  given  by  an  English  lady.  It  was  a  very  agreeable  little 
reunion,  and  gave  the  few  Americans,  who  had  the  entree,  an  oppor 
tunity  of  meeting  las  Mexicanas  in  company.  The  entertainment 
was  very  like  ours,  in  the  United  States ;  we  had  music,  dancing, 
and  cards ;  the  senoritas  waltzed  to  perfection,  and  flirted  their  fans 
with  the  peculiar  grace  of  the  daughters  of  Spain.  We  had  fine 
music,  amateur  and  professional,  songs  in  French,  Spanish,  and 
Italian,  with  piano  accompaniment.  It  seems  to  be  the  custom  for 
a  performer  to  play  for  the  singer ;  the  lady  rarely  sits  down  at  the 
piano  to  play  her  own  accompaniments.  The  advantage  of  this  is 
manifest,  as  it  allows  the  freedom  of  attitude,  and  expansion  of 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  143 

chest,  necessary  for  a  full  development  of  the  vocal  powers.  The 
mammas  chaperoned  the  daughters,  and  watched  them,  with  the 
tender  anxiety  to  be  seen  in  all  countries ;  while  the  more  callous 
papas  retired  to  an  adjoining  room,  to  enjoy,  in  peace,  their  cards  and 
segars.  They  stuck  to  these  like  the  sages  immortalized  by  Mustapha 
in  Salmagundi;  heedless  of  gay  music  and  the  giddy  waltz,  they 
raised  not  their  eyes  from  the  hieroglyphic  papers  before  them,  until 
stimulated  into  a  consciousness  of  animal  life,  by  the  diffused  fra 
grance  of  generous  wines.  Then  for  a  moment,  they  were  very 
cheerful,  until  the  talisman  departed,  when  they  relapsed  gravely 
into  the  depths  of  their  devotions.  Some  of  the  girls  were  quite 
pretty,  though  there  was  less  beauty  than  may  be  always  seen  among 
the  same  number  at  home.  The  mammas  will  pass,  if  they  incline 
to  corpulency,  but  otherwise  the  elderly,  or  middle-aged  women  of 
Mexico  are  far  from  handsome.  When  the  dark  brunette,  charming 
perhaps  in  youth,  has  subsided  into  a  dull  yellow,  and  the  once  full 
face  has  become  wrinkled  and  skinny,  the  last  traces  of  beauty  are 
more  than  effaced.  But /cm-,  fat,  and  forty,  are  not  uncommon  in 
Mexico ;  indeed,  some  of  the  fairest  women  I  have  ever  seen  are 
Mexicans,  with  eyes  as  bright,  and  as  blue,  as  any  from  the  north 
of  the  Rhine.  Such  beauties  abound  in  Spain,  among  the  fair 
daughters  of  the  Groths,  in  provinces  that  remained  free  from 
Moorish  dominion. 

A  tertulia  in  these  days  is  not  to  be  neglected,  as  the  company 
assembles,  if  not  reluctantly,  at  least  in  fear  and  trembling.  The 
gentle  Mexicanas  fear  equally  the  ladrones  of  their  own  country,  and 
the  American  soldiery ;  and  while  they  could  find  it  in  their  hearts, 
doubtless,  to  smile  a  little  upon  the  gallant  invaders,  prudential 
reasons  keep  them  generally  within  a  wall  of  reserve  that  our  war 
rior  beaux  find  harder  to  penetrate  than  were  the  massive  stone  walls 
of  their  mansions. 

On  the  way  home,  in  the  small  hours,  I  met  a  party  of  policemen 
having  in  charge  the  body  of  a  man  just  murdered;  a  matter  of 
small  note  in  Mexico. 


144  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 


LETTER    XXXII. 

An  Aztec  Belle — General  Condition  of  the  Indians — Their  Character — Num 
bers — Appearance — Afflictions — Capacity — Religion — Mixed  Race — Cha 
racter  of  Leperos — They  may  be  made  Good  Citizens  by  Rigorous  Rule — 
Note :  Suspension  of  the  Alcabala. 

Mexico,  December,  1847. 

I  MET  in  company,  a  few  evenings  since,  a  young  Miss  of  pure  In 
dian  blood,  who  was  reputed  wealthy  and  accomplished.  Her  father, 
herself,  and  a  boy,  said  to  be  a  lineal  descendant  of  Montezuma,  are 
the  only  representatives  of  the  aboriginal  race  I  have  met  with,  or 
heard  of,  in  society.  The  Aztec  features  are  far  from  handsome,  at 
least  when  compared  with  the  Caucasian,  but  the  young  lady,  I  have 
no  doubt,  would  pass  for  a  beauty  in  the  celestial  empire,  except  that 
her  feet  could  not  now  be  compressed  into  "  golden  lilies/'  Her 
cast  of  face  was  decidedly  Chinese.  A  common  origin  may  account 
for  this,  as  in  all  probability  the  Aztecs;  as  well  as  other  Indians  of 
this  continent,  draw  their  descent  from  some  branch  or  branches  of  the 
great  Mongol  race.  As  their  origin,  however,  is  a  bone  of  conten 
tion  among  the  philosophic  inquirers  into  the  history  of  the  human 
race,  I  will  venture  no  further  remarks  on  that  subject.  The  Indians, 
who  come  daily  under  observation,  may  be  more  properly  discussed. 
Once  lords  of  the  soil,  their  highest  offices  now,  as  a  general  rule, 
are  the  menial  tasks  imposed  by  their  present  masters.  They  are 
not  slaves,  it  is  true,  by  law,  and  yet  in  condition  and  appearance, 
they  appear  inferior  to  the  negroes  of  the  Northern  Republic. 
Throughout  the  United  States,  even  in  those  where  slavery  is  most 
unmitigated,  every  man  of  the  coloured  race  has  his  stamp  of  indivi 
duality,  and  not  a  few,  respectable  consideration ;  while  among  these 
freemen,  it  is  hard  to  estimate  any  one  among  them  as  other  than  an 
animal  from  the  herd — rare,  indeed,  is  it  to  see  one,  to  whom  you  can 
attach  the  idea  of  an  identity,  that  may  raise  him  above,  or  distin 
guish  him  from,  the  lowliest  of  his  unhappy  brethren. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  145 

Humboldt  estimated  the  number  of  Indian  residents  in  the  city  at 
33,000 ;  which  number  has  probably  increased  considerably,  though 
a  large  proportion  of  those  who  may  be  seen  daily  in  the  streets  are 
from  the  surrounding  country.  They  come  in  in  files,  more  than 
half  naked,  men  and  women,  carrying  heavy  burdens  on  their  backs, 
like  so  many  pack-mules.  The  poor  women  carry,  besides,  in  most 
cases,  miserable  little  pledges,  strapped  to  their  shoulders,  whose 
young  faces  have  the  gravity  of  premature  age,  looking  as  if  con 
scious  of  their  race's  degradation.  The  Indians  have  continued  to 
increase  in  population  in  spite  of  many  inflictions  of  the  three  great 
scourges,  war,  pestilence,  and  famine.  They  have  been  visited  at 
various  times  by  the  small-pox ;  and  by  a  much  more  formidable 
disease,  known  among  them  as  matlazahuatl,  said  to  bear  some  re 
semblance  to  the  black  vomit,  to  which  malady,  however,  they  are 
but  little  subject.  Humboldt  quotes  from  Torquemada,  that  in 
1545,  the  matlazahuatl  carried  off  800,000,  and  in  1576,  the  im 
mense  number  of  2,000,000.  He  thinks,  however,  the  fatality  was 
overrated.  The  hard  labour  of  the  mines,  for  which  their  slight 
forms  were  little  fitted,  carried  off  a  great  many  in  the  earlier  days 
of  Spanish  rule ;  but  a  wiser  policy  corrected  the  evil  by  moderating 
and  subdividing  the  labours. 

Famine  has,  at  times,  proved  very  desolating,  as  the  Indians, 
"  naturally  indolent,  contented  with  the  smallest  quantity  of  food 
on  which  life  can  be  supported,  and  living  in  a  fine  climate,  merely 
cultivate  as  much  maize,  potatoes,  or  wheat,  as  is  necessary  for  their 
own  maintenance,  or  at  most  for  the  additional  consumption  of  the 
adjacent  towns  and  mines.  The  inhabitants  of  Mexico  have  in 
creased  in  a  greater  ratio  than  the  means  of  subsistence,  and  accord 
ingly,  whenever  the  crops  fall  short  of  the  demand,  or  are  damaged 
by  drought,  or  other  local  causes,  famine  ensues.  With  want  of 
food  comes  disease,  and  these  visitations,  which  are  of  not  unfrequent 
occurrence,  are  very  destructive." — (Humboldt' s  Travels  and  Ke- 
searches.) 

The  same  author  remarks  of  the  character  of  the  Indians.  "  The 
men  are  grave,  melancholy,  and  taciturn ;  forming  a  striking  con 
trast  to  the  negroes,  who  for  this  reason  are  preferred  by  the  Indian 

13 


146  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

women.  Long  habituated  to  slavery,  they  patiently  suffer  the  pri 
vations  to  which  they  are  frequently  subjected ;  opposing  to  them 
only  a  degree  of  cunning,  veiled  under  the  appearance  of  apathy  and 
stupidity.  Although  destitute  of  imagination,  they  are  remarkable 
for  the  facility  with  which  they  acquire  a  knowledge  of  languages ; 
and  notwithstanding  their  usual  taciturnity,  they  become  loquacious 
and  eloquent  when  excited  by  important  occurrences." 

It  is  by  no  means  rare,  now-a-days,  to  see  them  "  excited"  into 
loquaciousness,  by  nothing  more  important  than  mescal  or  pulque ; 
whether  eloquent,  or  not,  is  more  than  I  am  able  to  testify.  The 
Indians  generally  are  a  peaceful  and  harmless  class,  without,  appa 
rently,  any  wish  or  hope  to  improve  their  condition.  They  regularly 
attend  divine  service,  where  their  manner  indicates  genuine  devotion ; 
yet  is  said  they  have  not  entirely  forgotten  the  gods  of  their  fore 
fathers.  Mr.  Bullock,  in  1823,  obtained  leave  to  disinter  the  image 
of  the  goddess  Teoyaniqui,  of  which  he  took  casts,  exciting  the 
laughter  or  contempt  of  the  whites,  while  the  Indians  looked  on  with 
feelings  of  reverential  interest.  They  may  have  regarded  it  with  a 
superstition  transmitted  from  their  ancestors,  through  a  concealed 
traditionary  current,  or  merely  as  a  memento  of  the  days  of  their 
national  pride  and  glory.*  Many  of  the  remoter  tribes  from  the 
city  yet  retain  their  native  freedom,  their  fierceness,  and  their  wor 
ship.  Our  army  had  even  been  threatened  with  the  Indios  Bravos, 
that  is,  the  Apaches,  Lipans,  and  others,  who,  we  were  told,  were 
to  fall  upon  us  in  connexion  with  the  regular  troops  of  Mexico. 

The  broken-spirited  sons  of  the  soil  in  this  vicinity,  are  measurably 
free  from  vices  towards  their  white  neighbours,  but  the  ungainly 
descendants  of  the  two  races,  the  mestizos,  combine  the  evil  qualities 
of  both,  with  little  comparative  improvement  from  the  admixture  of 
European  blood.  They  constitute  about  one-fourth  part  of  the 
population  of  the  city ;  from  them  are  taken  generally  domestic 
servants,  &c.,  while  they  furnish  too,  the  worthy  fraternity  of  begging 
and  robbing  leperos.  Mr.  Brantz  Mayer,  of  Baltimore,  has  given  of 

*  With  the  fall  of  their  national  pride  fell  their  national  crime  of  human 
sacrifices,  a  depravity,  sufficient  of  itself  to  justify  the  conquest,  even  ac 
cording  to  the  views  of  this  age. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  147 

these  charming  characters  a  most  correct  and  lively  picture  in  his 
entertaining  work  on  Mexico,  to  which  I  can  add  nothing;  but  I 
have  thought  a  quotation  from  Cervantes,  in  the  "Year  in  Spain," 
would  apply  to  them  admirably,  by  substituting  for  gipsies,  leperos, 
thus :  "It  would  seem  that  the  leperos  were  solely  born  into  this 
world  to  fill  the  station  of  thieves.  They  are  brought  up  among 
thieves ;  they  study  the  profession  of  thieves }  and  finally  end  by 
becoming  thieves,  the  most  current  and  thorough-paced  on  the  face 
of  the  earth/'  They  seem  to  be  out  of  the  pale  of  the  law,  and  are 
the  terror  of  all  good  citizens.  Yet  they  are  not  utterly  intractable. 
Under  the  old  Spanish  regime,  when  the  laws  were  sometimes  well 
administered,  even  the  leperos  were  brought  into  subjection;  as,  for 
instance,  during  the  term  of  the  Viceroy  Revillagigedo,  who,  by  a 
system  of  rigid  justice,  little  tempered  with  mercy,  conducted  the 
ship  of  state  better  than  was  ever  done  before  or  since,  either  under 
monarchical  or  republican  rule. 


NOTE. — The  suspension  of  the  onerous  alcabala,  or  excise  law,  by 
order  of  the  American  authorities,  was  hailed  with  delight  by  the 
Indians  who  traffic  with  the  city.  The  nature  of  the  law  is  probably 
known  to  the  reader.  It  is  an  odious  tax  on  every  species  of  barter 
and  sale,  from  the  transfer  of  a  great  estate  down  to  the  commonest 
necessaries  of  life  sold  in  the  markets.  The  poor  Indians,  who  in 
some  cases  bring  on  their  backs  heavy  loads  of  humble  produce,  from 
a  distance  of  twenty  or  forty  miles,  or  even  more,  are  arrested  at 
the  city  gates,  obliged  to  deposit  their  burdens  until  they  get  a  cer 
tificate  at  the  custom-house  of  having  paid  the  alcabala.  Their 
patience  is  often  abused  both  at  the  gates  and  the  custom-house, 
they  are  rebuffed  and  delayed  by  the  officials,  and  sometimes  lose 
a  whole  day  in  buying  permission  to  sell  a  few  reals  worth  of  market 
ing. 

The  alcabala  is  a  legacy  of  old  Spain ;  it  was  introduced  there  to 
defray  the  expenses  of  wars  against  the  Moors ;  after  the  wars,  how 
ever,  it  was  found  so  very  convenient  in  filling  the  royal  coffers,  that 


148 

it  obtained  the  honour  of  perpetuity.  It  was  introduced  in  due  time 
into  Spanish  America,  and  fell  heaviest  of  course  on  the  humblest 
classes.  The  Indians,  who  had  suffered  so  long  under  the  infliction, 
could  scarcely  believe  their  senses  when  they  found  "  free  trade" 
allowed  them,  "  /  Vivan  los  Americanos !"  they  cried  with  enthu 
siasm  "  Vivan  los  Americanos !" 


LETTER   XXXIII. 

Canete's  Benefit — Sable  Harmonists — Humours  of  Insurrection — A  Sermon 
— The  City — Humboldt — Origin  of  the  Name  of  Mexico — The  Valley — 
Streets — Houses — Awnings — Peculiarity  in  Naming  the  Streets — Origin 
of  the  Former  City — The  Present  not  on  a  Firm  Foundation — Disappear 
ance  of  Lakes — Saline  Deposits — Church  of  Nuestra  Sefiora  de  Loreto. 

City  of  Mexico,  December,  1847. 

ONE  evening  last  month,  we  had  an  entertainment  at  the  Teatro 
National,  far  surpassing  the  average  there.  It  was  on  the  occasion 
of  Canete's  benefit;  she  is  the  presiding  genius  of  the  Spanish  com 
pany  in  this  city,  and  is  really  a  most  gifted  woman.  She  has  the 
versatility  of  Mrs.  Fitzwilliam,  who  has  afforded  us  so  much  amuse 
ment,  but  she  is  of  a  higher  order  of  talent.  On  that  night  she 
took  the  leading  parts  in  the  Gamin  de  Paris,  and  Loan  of  a  Lover 
(both  in  Spanish),  and,  without  knowing  a  word  of  English,  she  had 
the  tact  to  make  the  plays  intelligible,  by  her  inimitable  manner. 
The  congregated  thousands  there  (for  the  immense  house  was  full 
to  overflowing),  gave  long  and  loud  shouts  of  approbation,  and  at 
the  end,  she  came  forth  with  a  set  speech  of  "  tanks,"  in  the  prettiest 
English  that  was  ever  heard,  though  it  was  harder  to  be  understood, 
I  must  say,  than  her  pure  Castilian.  The  Mexicans  have  no  actors 
worthy  the  name ;  Italy,  France,  and  Spain,  however,  make  up  the 
deficiency.  Between  the  acts  we  were  favoured  with  fine  music  by 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  149 

the  orchestra ;  dancing  by  Gozze,  a  Spanish  Celeste ;  and  a  variety 
in  the  diversion  by  the  introduction  of  a  troupe  of  Sable  Harmonists, 
whose  familiar  songs  were  received  with  roars  of  applause.  A  few 
resident  .ladies  appeared  in  the  boxes,  for  the  first  time  since  our 
arrival.  The  theatre  was  highly  adorned  and  brilliantly  illuminated. 
On  entering,  the  lofty  pillars  of  the  vestibule  were  seen  dressed  with 
lights  and  flowers,  and  beautiful  transparencies,  while  two  of  the  best 
bands  of  our  army  lent  their  attractions,  giving  forth  rich  strains  to 
the  open  air. 

We  hear  reports,  every  now  and  then,  of  insurrection,  and  no 
doubt  such  projects  have  been,  and  perhaps  are  still  on  foot ;  the 
annihilation  of  our  army  is,  of  course,  the  object  intended :  this  we 
do  not  fear ;  but  we  have  to  beware  of  the  midnight  assassination  of 
individuals  or  small  parties ;  many  stragglers  have  been  already  cut 
off,  but  commonly  from  their  own  reckless  imprudence. 

On  Sunday,  I  heard  a  sermon  at  the  convent  church  of  San  Au- 
gustin  :  it  was  a  very  good  one ;  the  padre  recommended  earnestly 
the  practical  virtues,  and  in  his  discourse,  there  was  nothing  to 
which  the  most  thorough  Protestant  could  object,  except  occasional 
appeals  to  Nuestra  Senora  Santisima.  His  manner  was  frank  and 
sincere,  utterly  free  from  clap-trap,  and  that  striving  after  effect 
which  so  often  destroys  the  merit  of  the  best  composed  sermons. 

You  want  a  general  description  of  the  city,  which  I  cannot  well 
give,  formally,  though  I  will  try  to  throw  into  my  letters,  without 
much  regard  to  system,  such  facts  as  I  can  gather,  either  from  ob 
servation  or  books,  where  the  latter  do  not  run  counter  to  the  former. 
The  learned  and  diligent  Humboldt  is  the  pioneer,  in  general  science, 
of  this  country,  and  his  immortal  works  the  source  from  which  most 
succeeding  travellers  have  drawn  their  data.  Nature  has  changed 
not  at  all,  since  his  visit ;  and  society,  less,  perhaps,  than  in  any 
other  country  on  the  continent  of  America.  Scientific  knowledge 
was  so  limited  in  this  country,  and  so  little  was  known,  that  it  re 
mained  for  him  even  to  settle  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the 
capital ;  the  maps  were  so  inaccurate,  "  that  the  inhabitants  were 
thrown  into  consternation  by  the  occurrence  of  a  total  eclipse  of  the 
sun,  on  the  21st  of  February,  1803 ;  the  almanacs,  calculating  from 


150  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

a  false  indication  of  the  meridian,  having  announced  it  as  scarcely 
visible/' — (Humboldt's  Travels,  &c. ;  Harper's  F.  L.) 

The  city  takes  its  name  from  the  ancient  war  god  Mexitli  (alias 
Huitzlipoclitli),  though  it  was  more  commonly  called,  before  the  con 
quest,  Tenochtitlan.  It  stands  about  in  the  centre  of  the  remarkable 
valley,  or  basin,  so  often  mentioned  as  formed  by  a  mountain  circle, 
which  springs  from  the  lofty  plains  of  Anahuac  (the  great  plateau, 
or  table-land  of  the  summit  of  the  Cordillera).  Looking  in  any 
direction  from  a  point  of  elevation  above  the  house-tops,  this  chain 
presents  itself  at  a  distance  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  miles,  like  a 
barrier  cutting  off  communication  with  the  surrounding  world.  To 
wards  the  southward  and  eastward,  we  have  in  perpetual  view,  form 
ing  part  of  the  ridge,  the  ever  snow-crowned  Popocatapetl  and  Istac- 
cihuatl,  whose  grandeur,  like  that  of  the  boundless  ocean,  seems  to 
preach  of  eternity.  The  eyes  are  never  weary  of  resting  on  them, 
as  they  are  ever  sublime  and  ever  beautiful. 

The  streets  of  the  city  are  perfectly  level,  and  as  rectangular  as 
those  of  Philadelphia.  The  houses  are  built  of  hewn  stone  of  two 
kinds,  a  " porous  amygdaloid,  and  a  glassy  felspar  porphyry;"  they 
are  plastered,  or  painted,  in  light  colours,  and  are  uniform  in  their 
terraced  roofs  and  iron  balconies.  Over  the  latter,  when  the  sun  is 
pouring  down  his  ardent  rays,  are  flung  white  or  fancy-coloured 
awnings,  screened  behind  which  the  fair  seiioritas,  partially  or  en 
tirely  concealed,  make  their  observations  on  the  living  current  below. 
The  effect  of  a  long  line  of  awnings,  as  down  Plateros  Street,  &c.,  to 
the  Alameda,  half  a  dozen  squares,  is  picturesque  and  beautiful. 
One  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  capital  is,  that  the  name  of  a  street 
continues  only  with  a  square,  to  the  annoyance  and  confusion  of 
strangers.  Suppose,  for  instance,  Chestnut  Street,  in  Philadelphia, 
were  to  be  named  after  the  Mexican  style,  we  would  have  as  many 
streets  as  squares,  thus  there  would  be  State  House  Street,  Hotel 
Street,  &c.,  and  enough  throughout  the  city  to  confound  even  her 
own  keen  lawyers  and  sharp-scented  police. 

The  ancient  Mexico  stood  upon  an  island  communicating  by  dikes 
with  the  main  land.  You  remember  the  legend  of  its  origin  :  that  a 
few  poor  adventurers  were  directed  by  their  oracle  to  locate  a  city 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  151 

where  they  should  find  an  eagle  resting  on  a  nopal,  and  that  the  spot 
was  found  amidst  the  waters  of  Lake  Tescoco.  Here,  in  1325,  they 
fixed  their  residence,  founding  their  humble  city  in  the  waves,  like 
the  Venetians,  rather  for  protection  from  strong  and  hostile  neigh 
bours,  than  from  deference  to  the  oracle.  When  it  grew  to  greatness, 
and  fell  into  the  power  of  the  Spanish  conquerors,  they  destroyed  it, 
to  build  another  on  the  same  site.  The  waters  of  the  lake,  however, 
have  receded,  leaving  the  city  on  a  crust  of  dry  land.  So  infirm, 
however,  are  the  foundations,  that  the  cathedral  has  sunk,  as  have 
other  buildings,  as  much  as  six  feet.  This,  indeed,  is  not  percepti 
ble  to  the  general  observer.  Lake  Tescoco  is  now  not  less  than 
seven  or  eight  miles  from  the  city,  though  during  the  season  of 
rains  the  extensive  inundations  of  the  surrounding  low  grounds  pre 
sent  still  something  of  the  appearance  of  former  days.  All  the 
lakes  of  the  valley  are  diminishing  in  size,  and  the  surface  of  the 
soil  once  occupied  by  them,  is  whitened  by  a  deposition  of  the  salts 
of  potash  and  lime,  which  form  rapidly  and  unaccountably.  Muriate 
of  soda  (common  salt)  is  present  in  limited  quantities,  but  in  too 
impure  a  state  to  be  introduced  into  use.  The  saline  efflorescences 
cover,  sometimes,  large  tracts,  like  a  frost,  hindering  or  destroying 
cultivation. 

Mexico  has,  if  not  its  "  leaning  tower,"  a  church  so  inclined  from 
the  perpendicular,  that  it  can  no  longer  be  used.  It  is  a  large  and 
handsome  edifice,  La  Iglesia  de  Nuestra  Senora  de  JJoreto,  probably 
built  upon  piles,  as  the  public  buildings  generally,  but,  shortly  after 
completed,  it  was  subjected  to  the  trial  of  a  severe  earthquake, 
which  left  it  in  its  present  condition.  It  reminds  one,  for  all  the 
world,  of  a  stout  ship  at  sea,  heeling  to  the  breeze. 


152  EL  PUCHERO,  OB 


LETTER  XXXIV. 

The  Viaticum — Church  Ceremonies — State  of  Religion — Releasing  Souls 
from  Purgatory — Friars  and  Secular  Clergy — Anniversary  Celebration  at 
Guadalupe  —  National  Museum  —  Colossal  Statue  —  Sacrificial  Stone  — 
Models  of  Mines,  &c. — Natural  Specimens — Wax  Figures. 

WHEN  early  in  the  night,  before  the  hours  of  repose,  you  hear 
the  gentle  tinkling  of  a  little  bell  approaching,  you  may  go  to  your 
window  to  see  the  passage  of  the  viaticum,  or  the  host,  on  its  way 
to  be  administered,  for  the  last  time,  to  some  poor  mortal  about  to 
pass  into  the  realms  of  the  hidden  world.  All  the  good  people,  on 
both  sides  of  the  street,  light  up  their  windows  and  fall  on  their 
knees  until  the  cortege  has  passed;  the  throngs  in  the  streets, 
removing  their  hats,  fall  on  their  knees  and  remain  bowed  to  the 
earth  while  the  host  is  passing.  Not  a  sound  is  heard  but  the  sil 
very  tinkling  of  the  warning  bell,  and  a  low,  monotonous  musical 
chant  by  the  attendant  train,  singing  mournful  psalms,  or  the  litany 
for  the  dying.  The  consecrated  element  is  carried  by  a  priest  in  an 
illuminated  carriage ;  the  attendants,  dressed  in  white  surplices,  pre 
cede  and  follow  the  coach,  bearing  aloft  lighted  torches.  The  effect 
is  very  striking ;  from  a  general  commotion,  the  buzz  of  many  voices 
and  the  trampling  of  many  feet,  such  as  is  always  heard  when  night 
first  begins  to  spread  her  mantle  over  a  great  city,  the  first  notes  of  the 
bell  are  followed  by  a  deathlike  stillness,  then  all  is  hushed,  the  world 
scarcely  seems  to  breathe,  the  approaching  music  falls  on  unbroken 
silence,  and  not  a  motion  is  made  by  the  crowd  until  the  last  notes 
are  flung  back,  echo-like,  from  the  receding  singers.  Then  a  simul 
taneous  rise  takes  place  in  the  kneeling  multitude,  and  the  outdoor 
world  resumes  it  tumultuous  courses. 

There  are  many  beautiful  church  ceremonies  in  use  in  Mexico,  but 
in  many  cases  they  are  carried  too  far  for  American  taste,  particu 
larly  where  (as  is  generally  the  case)  we  do  not  understand  them. 
Sweeping  charges  are  constantly  brought  against  the  clergy  of  the 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  153 

country,  of  overdoing  the  forms  of  religion,  while  neglecting  its 
intrinsic  essentials,  and  great  abuses  are  said  to  exist,  some  of  which 
are  obvious. 

An  instance  that  I  have  noticed  may  be  introduced  here.  In  the 
Cathedral,  near  one  of  the  principal  altars,  are  two  tablets,  inform 
ing  the  people,  that  by  certain  conditions,  of  assisting  at  masses, 
reciting  prayers,  or  giving  alms,  they  may  redeem  so  many  souls 
from  purgatory :  thus,  one  condition  observed  will  relieve  three 
souls,  another  six,  another  ten,  &c. ;  making  definite  rates,  not 
authorized,  so  far  as  I  know,  by  the  doctrines  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

A  greater  abuse  is,  that  though  there  are  between  forty  and  fifty 
convents  in  and  about  the  city,  of  monks  and  nuns,  that  the  edu 
cation  of  the  lower  classes  is  so  much  neglected.  Surely  these 
brethren  could  not  be  better  engaged  than  in  diffusing  freely  the 
blessings  of  education.  The  convents  are  generally  rich,  and  able 
to  sustain  free  schools  out  of  their  revenues;  the  friars  must  be 
competent  to  teach ;  if  not,  so  much  greater  is  the  shame  for  them. 
As  it  is,  their  influence  is  said  to  be  constantly  decreasing,  as  might 
naturally  be  supposed.  The  people  of  Mexico  are  thoroughly 
attached  to  their  religion,  although  they  speak  freely  of  existing 
abuses.  In  this  utilitarian  age  every  man  is  called  on  to  play  an 
active  part  in  life,  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  The 
wealth  of  the  convents  at  this  day  must  be  much  diminished  by  the 
constant  demand  on  them  from  the  government,  which,  by  all 
accounts,  is  as  plundering  as  the  knights  of  the  highway.  With  all 
the  apparent  influence  of  churchmen  in  this  country,  they  have 
been  constantly  buffeted  by  revolutionary  partisans,  and  plundered 
by  empleados,  until,  under  the  general  disorganization,  they  have 
become  less  free  to  act,  either  for  good  or  evil,  than  in  almost  any 
Christian  country  in  the  world.  Such  at  least  is  a  statement  made 
to  me  by  one  of  the  clergy. 

The  parish  priests  lead  different  lives  from  those  in  convents ;  the 
nature  of  their  duties  keeps  them  in  more  active  occupation,  and 
their  general  appearance  is  less  forbidding.  You  know  them  by  their 
costume  :  they  do  not  wear  cowls,  or  expose  their  tonsured  crowns, 


154 

but  they  wear  broad-brimmed  beavers,  standing  straight  out,  fore 
and  aft,  and  curled  up  at  the  sides ;  a  long  black  gown  (cassock), 
and  commonly  shorts,  knee  and  shoe-buckles,  complete  their  ordi 
nary  dress. 

It  may  not  be  interesting  to  recur  so  often  to  the  clergy,  but  it 
can  scarcely  be  avoided  on  account  of  the  great  space  they  occupy 
in  the  community;  they  number  thousands  in  the  city  and  its 
immediate  vicinity. 

On  the  12th  inst.,  I  accompanied  a  party  to  Guadalupe.  The 
anniversary  of  the  appearance  there  of  Nuestra  Senora,  was  cele 
brated  on  that  day  with  the  most  gorgeous  ceremonies.  The  church 
is  certainly  the  handsomest  I  ever  saw,  and  the  decorations  for  the 
occasion  are  beyond  description.  The  principal  altar  was  in  a  blaze 
of  lights  and  jewels,  and  the  vestments  of  the  priests  sparkled  with 
gold  and  precious  stones.  The  music  corresponded  with  the  cere 
monies.  The  crowd  was  immense,  to  be  numbered  by  tens  of  thou 
sands  }  armies  of  Indians  came  on  their  annual  pilgrimage  to  the 
shrine,  and  perhaps  one-half  of  the  citizens  of  the  capital  repair 
there  during  the  day.  At  night,  in  town,  many  of  the  devotees  of 
"  Our  Lady  of  Gruadalupe"  had  her  portrait  at  their  balconies,  sur 
rounded  by  lights,  while  their  houses  were  also  illuminated. 

I  have  paid  several  visits  to  the  National  Museum,  which,  by  a 
liberal  policy,  is  open  every  afternoon  to  the  public,  free  of  charge. 
It  occupies  a  portion  of  the  University,  within  a  square  of  the  palace, 
and  contains  some  objects  of  general  interest.  The  first  that  strikes 
the  eye  upon  entering  the  court,  is  the  colossal  equestrian  statue  of 
the  unlucky  Carlos  IV.,  in  bronze.  It  is  the  work  of  a  native 
sculptor,  Tolsa,  who,  it  is  said,  died  of  mortification,  when  a  radical 
defect  was  pointed  out  to  him,  that  most  observers  pass  unnoticed; 
that  is,  the  absence  of  the  excrescences,  or  figs,  on  the  legs.  The 
horse  is  about  the  size  of  a  full-grown  elephant — the  rider  in  propor 
tion  ;  and  Humboldt  says  of  the  work,  that  in  beauty  and  purity  of 
style,  it  exceeds  anything  in  Europe,  except  the  Marcus  Aurelius,  at 
Rome.  Another  object  of  leading  interest  in  the  court,  is  a  sup 
posed  sacrificial  stone,  used  by  the  Aztecs,  a  large  cylindrical  stone, 
flat,  or  slightly  rounded  on  top,  with  a  groove  from  the  centre  to  the 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  155 

circumference,  which  is  considered  a  channel  for  the  blood  of  the 
victims.  The  sides  are  deeply  carved  with  hieroglyphic  figures. 
The  conservator  of  the  Museum,  who  is  an  antiquarian  and  a  very 
intelligent  man,  says  that  it  is  not  a  sacrificial  stone,  but  a  calendar ; 
that  the  Spaniards  destroyed  all  but  one  of  the  former  ever  found, 
which  was  sent  to  Spain,  where  it  remains.  There  is,  however,  a 
stone  urn  preserved,  into  which  the  Aztec  priests  threw  the  yet 
palpitating  hearts  of  their  human  victims.  There  are  numerous 
idols,  utensils,  instruments  of  music,  &c.,  in  good  preservation, 
mementos  of  the  age  before  the  conquest.  I  took  less  interest  in 
them,  however,  than  in  specimens  of  vegetable,  mineralogical,  and 
other  natural  products  from  various  parts  of  this  extensive  republic. 
There  are  some  models  of  mines,  which  are  very  interesting;  the 
whole  process  of  mining  is  shown  in  miniature.  Sections  of  mines 
are  shown  where  the  puppet  workmen  are  pursuing  all  their  various 
duties,  deep  in  the  dark  recesses  of  their  subterranean  world.  There 
are  many  specimens  of  stuffed  birds,  some  beasts  and  reptiles ; 
besides  those  of  Mexican  art,  ancient  and  modern.  The  Indians 
(or  leperos)  excel  in  making  wax  figures,  and  at  the  Museum  may 
be  seen  Lilliputian  men  and  women,  of  all  ranks  and  grades,  from 
high  bon  ton  down  to  squalid  beggary.  The  figures  are  per 
fectly  natural,  and  each  appears  in  his  proper  costume  and  cha 
racter, 


156 


LETTER  XXXV. 

Robbery,  by  Wholesale  and  Retail — The  Arrieros — Their  Costume,  &c. — 
Contrast  with  the  Indians,  and  their  Burros  (Donkeys) — Women's  Cos 
tume — The  Rebozo — Infliction  of  Punishment — A  bold  Attempt  at  Rescue 
— Succeeds  as  it  Deserves — Botanical  Garden — Society — General  Scott 
and  the  Ladies — Churches  on  Christmas  Day — A  Pleasant  Evening. 

City  of  Mexico,  December,  1847. 

A  RESIDENT  friend  informed  me  a  few  days  ago  that  his  father- 
in-law  had  just  sustained  a  loss  of  thirty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
effects,  by  robbery,  on  the  highroad  between  Orizaba  and  Puebla. 
He  had  made  purchases  to  that  amount  in  Europe,  and  put  them, 
on  their  arrival  in  this  country,  under  charge  of  a  hired  escort.  The 
latter  fled  at  the  first  charge  of  the  robbers ; — whether  in  collusion 
with  them,  or  not,  is  a  matter  of  no  small  doubt.  I  have  had  my 
losses,  too,  in  a  small  way;  eleven  of  my  twelve  pocket-handkerchiefs, 
some  of  them  handsome  and  costly,  have  mysteriously  passed  from 
my  possession  into  the  domains  of  greaserdom.  I  think,  were  it  my 
misfortune  to  be  a  citizen  of  Mexico,  I  could  almost-  find  it  in  my 
heart  to  colleague  with  the  veteran  administrador  mentioned  by 
Madame  Calderon,  who  notified  the  government  he  would  have  to 
join  the  robbers  in  self-defence,  as  no  other  class  of  citizens  obtained 
protection  in  their  avocations. 

Goods  and  produce  from  the  country  are  generally  brought  in  on 
the  backs  of  mules  and  donkeys,  wheeled  vehicles  being  compara 
tively  little  used.  The  arrieros,  or  muleteers,  on  the  highroad, 
are  generally  a  jaunty  set  of  chaps,  decked  out  in  tight-fitting  short- 
jackets,  pantaloons  open  from  the  knee  down,  the  external  seam 
made  to  open  the  whole  length,  and  fastened  down  the  sides  by 
numerous  close-set  silver  buttons;  the  boots  of  untanned  leather, 
and  the  heels  armed  with  massive  and  jingling  iron  spurs.  The 
sombrero  is  a  cone  of  felt  or  straw,  with  a  broad  brim,  covered  for 
the  road  with  glazed  canvass.  A  band  of  glittering  tinsel  encircles 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  157 

the  hat;  and  near  the  crown,  on  either  side,  is  a  projecting  ornament 
of  silver.  If  mounted,  the  accoutrements  are  whip,  sword,  pistols; 
and  carbine ;  an  extra  pair  of  leathern  leggings,  tanned  with  the 
hair  on,  hang  from  each  side  of  the  saddle-bow.  The  saddle  and 
bridle  are  both  profusely  adorned  with  silver.  These  gentry  are 
either  Criollos,  or  the  better  class  of  half-breeds.  They  offer  a 
strong  contrast  to  the  poor  Indians,  bringing  in  their  supplies  from 
the  surrounding  country ;  these  wear  no  ornaments,  frequently  not 
even  the  serape,  or  blanket,  which  is  the  daily  mantle  and  nightly 
covering  of  the  leperos ;  but  they  trudge  after  their  laden  donkeys, 
carrying  no  other  weapon  than  a  staff,  which  they  use  as  a  goad, 
while  very  commonly  on  their  own  shoulders  is  strapped  a  weighty 
pannier,  which  may  contain,  and  often  does,  the  third  of  a  donkey's 
load.  Countrywomen,  who  enjoy  a  few  rays  of  the  sunshine  of 
prosperity,  come  mounted  on  donkeys,  their  nether  limbs  either 
within,  or  hanging  down  in  front  of  the  panniers ;  they  wear  the 
^JiK^ad-brimmed  sombrero  of  the  arrieros.  Speaking  of  costume,  I 
may  here  remark,  that  of  each  class  is  distinctive ;  the  low  women 
of  the  city  have  no  other  tog  for  every-day  wear  than  a  chemise,  and 
a  petticoat  of  the  shortest ;  a  rebozo  on  the  head  (a  long,  coloured 
scarf),  with  which  they  conceal  their  full  bronze  busts  when  con 
venient — for  they  throw  them  open  without  ceremony — and  a  pair 
of  slippers  on  their  feet.  The  very  poorest  dispense  with  all  but 
the  petticoat ;  none  wear  bonnets,  high  or  low.  The  ladies  wear  on 
their  heads  rich  silk  shawls,  fastened  under  the  chin  when  in  the 
street,  though  in  most  other  respects  they  dress  a  la  Fran$aise. 
The  gentlemen  dress  as  we  do,  except  that  in  the  saddle  it  is  de 
regie  to  wear  a  short  jacket  and  broad-brimmed  hat. 

Some  disorderly  Mexicans  were  sentenced,  not  long  since,  by  an 
American  military  commission,  in  perpetual  session,  to  the  whole 
some  old-time  correction  recommended  by  the  wisest  of  men  for 
unruly  children, — great  was  the  indignation  in  greaserdom,  and  a 
forcible  rescue  was  threatened,  if  the  Americans  would  dare  to  carry 
this  sentence  into  execution.  When  the  time  came,  some  thousands 
of  the  motley  tribe  collected  about  the  grand  plaza,  for  a  rescue,  if 
their  hearts  failed  them  not ;  or  at  least,  to  offer  groans  and  tears  of 

14 


158  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

sympathy.  As  the  work  commenced,  showers  of  stones  fell  on  the 
American  guards,  who  charged  on  the  valiant  assailants,  took  some 
of  the  leaders,  who  now  get  their  deserts  in  weekly  instalments  of 
the  very  currency  they  were  trying  to  put  out  of  circulation.  The 
better  citizens  are  delighted ;  they  say  nothing  short  of  hanging 
could  have  subdued  the  whole  legion  of  evil-doers  so  promptly. 

This  month,  like  our  April,  has  been  blowing  hot,  and  blowing 
cold,  alternately;  it  has,  however,  been  unusually  cold  for  the 
climate.  Roses  generally  bloom  the  year  round,  and  early  in  the 
month,  they  were  plenty ;  not  so  now  : — in  open  grounds  there  are 
none,  though  the  weather  is  of  that  genial  warmth  described  by 
travellers  as  perennial  in  Mexico.  I  went  some  days  ago  to  the 
botanical  garden  in  rear  of  the  palace.  It  is  small,  and  not  very 
attractive, — a  single  rose,  the  last  of  winter,  was  "all  blooming 
alone/'  which  the  gardener  gave  me.  He  said  that  the  leperos  had 
broken  in  and  destroyed  many  fine  flowers,  vases,  &c.,  when  the 
city  was  surrendered.  A  lofty  summer-house,  overgrown  with 
dense  foliage,  stands  over  a  bubbling  fountain  surrounded  with  rare 
flowers ;  it  must  be  a  delicious  retreat  during  the  heats  of  summer, 
as  the  rays  of  the  sun  find  no  entrance  there. 

Respectable  Mexican  families  are  opening  their  houses  slowly  and 
cautiously,  to  American  ofiicers ;  acquaintance  is  extended  by  a  pro 
cess  of  induction, — thus,  having  the  entree  at  one  house,  the  friends 
and  relations  invite  you  to  theirs,  and  sometimes,  are  even  polite 
enough  to  call  for  you  in  their  coaches.  They  do  not  venture  upon 
this,  however,  during  the  broad  light  of  day ;  an  execrable  system 
of  espionage,  equal  to  that  of  Fouche,  but  entirely  destitute  of  legi 
timate  aim,  keeps  a  check  on  all  social  movement  in  Mexico,  not 
only  towards  strangers,  but  among  each  other.  General  society, 
from  all  I  can  learn,  is  scarcely  known — a  few  families,  related  or 
connected,  form  their  little  circle  which  they  rarely  leave,  unless 
for  some  formal  visit  of  etiquette. 

General  Scott  has  got  out  of  the  good  graces  of  the  fair  sex,  by 
rejecting  the  petition  of  numerous  ladies  in  favour  of  the  San  Pa- 
tricio  prisoners  (deserters  from  our  army).  Reasoning  after  the 
fashion  of  women,  from  the  heart,  they  think  it  very  cruel  indeed  to 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  159 

keep  the  pobres  in  irons,  &c.,  now  that  our  arms  are  so  completely 
triumphant.  They  want  to  draw  a  parallel  between  General  Tyler 
and  General  Escott  (as  they  call  them) ;  they  think  the  former,  who, 
they  say,  is  beloved  by  the  whole  Mexican  nation,  would  not  have 
been  deaf  to  their  prayers. 

On  Christmas  day,  I  went  first  to  the  Cathedral,  where  a  full 
orchestra  lent  its  aid  to  the  immense  organs  and  the  singers ;  finding 
myself  rather  late  there,  I  repaired  to  the  beautiful  church  of  La 
Profesa,  where  I  found  a  scenic  representation  of  the  stable  at 
Bethlehem.  The  divine  child  lay  in  his  manger,  and  besides  his 
parents,  the  humble  apartment  was  shared  between  the  admiring 
shepherds  and  dumb  brutes  gazing  listlessly  at  their  unwonted  com 
pany.  The  spectacle  presented  nothing  trivial — far  from  it,  indeed 
— it  was  an  impressive  lesson  for  the  learned  and  the  unlearned.  I 
had  intended  witnessing  the  Misa  de  Gallo,  or  midnight  mass,  at 
the  Cathedral,  but  a  social  evening  with  a  brother  in  arms  (scalpels 
and  catlings),  at  the  custom-house,  drove  it  from  my  mind. 

Christmas  night  I  ate  dulces,  sipped  chocolate,  and  drank  bumpers 
in  pure  old  Xeres,  with  a  pleasant  Mexican  family,  on  my  proposi 
tion,  to  the  fair  Mejicanas,  on  theirs,  to  las  Americanas  (God  bless 
them !),  and  then,  perhaps,  to  ourselves.  The  gentry  of  this  country 
are  very  temperate,  rarely  exceeding  the  bounds  of  moderation. 
The  evening  passed  off  pleasantly  with  music,  conversation,  and 
segars. 


160 


LETTER  XXXVL 

Legion  of  Beggars — Their  Dress  and  Fare — Danger  of  Sailing  under  False 
Colours  —  Public  Balls  —  Nymphs  of  Belemitas  —  More  amiable  than 
their  Lovers — Soubriquets — Visit  to  the  Mint — Accessions  to  the  Army — 
Prevalence  of  Sickness — Military  Police. 

City  of  Mexico,  January,  1848. 

THERE  are  a  great  many  blind  beggars  in  this  city,  and  deformed 
ones  too,  high  authority  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  We  hear 
frequently  of  artificial  deformity,  induced  permanently,  or  tempo 
rarily,  by  the  beggars  themselves ;  and  terrible  stories  of  mothers 
destroying  the  eyes  of  their  children  to  insure  their  claims  on  public 
sympathy.  Putting  out  their  eyes  is  merely  furnishing  the  young 
sters  with  a  sufficient  amount  of  capital  to  drive  a  successful  business 
in  their  future  career.  I  know  not  how  far  to  believe  these  accounts, 
but  the  multitude  of  beggars  show  that  the  profession  is  in  favour; 
they  seem  to  understand  that  the  world  owes  them  a  living,  which 
they  are  determined  to  have.  Their  name  is  legion — they  must, 
therefore,  be  a  heavy  burden  on  the  productive  classes.  Fortunately, 
(?)  the  necessaries  of  life  are  cheap ;  tortillas  (corn-cakes)  and  fri- 
joles  (beans)  cost  almost  nothing,  and  these,  with  a  little  Chili  pep 
per  and  a  glass  of  strong  pulque,  are  luxuries  enough  for  a  beggar's 
palate.  At  nearly  every  street  corner,  some  dirty  old  woman  has 
her  table  and  her  brasero,  from  which  she  will  furnish  an  ample 
meal,  including  even  a  stew  of  beef  and  Chili,  piping  hot,  for  half  a 
dozen  clacoes  (nine  cents).  Furnishing  their  garments  does  not 
enrich  the  tailors  much ;  an  excuse  for  a  pair  of  breeches,  reaching 
to  the  knees,  and  a  serape  worn  gracefully  over  the  shoulders,  make 
a  fair  average  of  costume — sometimes  additional  gear  is  worn,  and 
just  as  often,  the  serape,  or  the  breeches,  dispensed  with.  Warm 
clothes  are  little  needed,  but  some  primitive  garment,  an  improve 
ment  on  the  fig-leaf,  is  always  preserved  for  decency's  sake. 

There  was  great  commotion  among  the  rabble  when  our  army  was 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  161 

approaching  the  city.  Santa  Anna  had  his  recruiting  parties  out, 
who,  asking  no  questions,  pressed  every  young  fellow  they  caught 
from  home,  who  had  no  protecting  influence.  People  could  not  even 
send  their  servants  out  of  their  houses.  At  the  house  of  one  of  my 
friends,  it  was  indispensable  to  send  to  the  post-office,  and  the  ex 
pedient  hit  on,  was  to  send  a  man  disguised  in  women's  clothes,  at 
dusk.  He  took  his  letter  safely,  and  was  returning,  when  some  va 
grant  pursued  with  no  good  designs  the  unprotected  woman.  She, 
of  course,  was  coy  in  the  extreme,  admitted  no  familiarities,  but 
virtuously  took  to  flight.  Her  unaccustomed  garments,  however, 
impeded  her  motions,  so  she  was  soon  in  the  possession  of  the  amo 
rous  assailant.  Great  was  his  surprise  when  he  found  a  lusty  man 
in  his  arms — but  here  was  a  mystery,  the  police  was  called,  and  the 
doubtful  character  committed  to  prison.  The  poor  fellow  was  scared 
out  of  his  wits,  and  his  life  was  threatened,  because  it  was  clear  to 
everybody,  without  further  evidence,  that  a  person  so  disguised, 
must  be  an  American  spy.  He  protested,  but  in  vain ;  his  mistress 
was  a  foreigner,  his  master  also  (a  distinguished  French  architect, 
an  accomplished  and  hospitable  gentleman),  who  was  absent  from 
the  city,  and  there  was  no  one  able  or  willing  to  save  him  from 
punishment.  Next  morning  he  made  his  condition  known  to  his 
mistress,  who  with  great  difficulty  obtained  his  release. 

Balls  and  parties  are  got  up  nightly  for  the  special  benefit  of  the 
army.  Gay  music  may  be  heard  in  various  sections  of  the  city,  and 
dashing  couples  may  be  seen  through  the  open  windows,  whirling 
gracefully  in  the  giddy  waltz.  That  the  ladies  are  all  of  the  first 
respectability  may  be  learned  from  the  newspaper  advertisements, 
which  announce,  very  decidedly,  that  no  others  will  be  admitted. 
But  they  have  queer  ways  for  real  ladies.  The  most  pretending 
and  exclusive  of  the  public  balls,  are  given  at  an  ex-convent  in  Be- 
lemitas  Street,  where  the  French  modistas  enjoy  undivided  sway. 
Every  Sunday  evening  they  congregate  there  with  their  beaux,  who, 
like  themselves,  escape  from  the  trammels  of  the  shop  to  figure  upon 
this  field  of  social  elegance.  Now  the  ladies,  with  more  taste  than 
discretion,  began  to  despise  their  familiar  faces,  when  Messieurs  les 
jeunes  officiers  Americains  appeared  on  the  boards,  and  being  aware 

14* 


162  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

of  the  great  prowess  and  daring  gallantry  of  the  latter,  surrendered 
to  them  unconditionally,  after  a  very  trifling  resistance  indeed.  This 
was  right  enough,  to  be  sure,  but  their  devoted  knights  of  times 
past  were  not  pleased;  so  they  made  a  renewed  attack  on  the  fair 
deserters,  not  with  martial  arms,  nor  even  with  the  arrows  of  Cupid, 
but  with  ill-natured  soubriquets,  which  have  fallen  among  the  ladies 
like  so  many  hand-grenades.  A  tall  slender  lady,  for  instance,  will 
live  and  die,  Palo  Alto;  a  short,  thickset  lady,  her  dearest  friend, 
Cerro  Gordo;  and  others,  Contreras,  Churubusco,  and  so  forth, 
from  some  real  or  fancied  analogy  between  their  characters  or  ap 
pearance,  and  the  fields  of  American  victories. 

Being  desirous  of  learning  the  art  of  making  money  (an  art  that 
has  always  been  a  sealed  book  to  me),  I  repaired  some  days  ago  to 
the  mint,  with  a  friend,  where  we  were  politely  shown  the  whole 
process — though  I  have  not  yet  reaped  any  practical  advantage  from 
my  information.  However,  we  saw  everything,  from  the  massive 
shapeless  ingots  of  silver,  down  to  the  bright,  finished  dollar.  The 
silver,  a  little  alloyed  with  copper,  is  first  run  through  a  furnace, 
then  passed  through  a  machine  for  making  strips  of  proper  breadth 
and  thickness ;  a  circular  punch  takes  out  the  size  of  the  dollar,  and 
the  round,  black-looking  piece  is  then  submitted  to  an  instrument 
for  marking  the  edges.  A  polishing  process  follows,  then  the  last 
act  is  completed  by  the  stamp.  The  dollars  are  turned  out  with 
great  rapidity,  though  the  entire  machinery  is  worked  by  hand.  The 
pieces  are  often  weighed  during  the  progress,  to  see  that  they  pre 
serve  the  standard.  In  another  apartment,  they  were  coining  gold 
from  black  sheets  that  might  readily  have  passed  unnoticed  for  so 
much  copper. 

The  mint  is  under  the  same  roof  as  the  palace ;  but  the  work  is 
carried  on  by  private  enterprise.  We  were  informed  that  improved 
machinery  had  been  ordered  from  England  which  has  not  yet 
arrived. 

We  have  had  considerable  reinforcements  in  the  last  few  weeks 
under  Generals  Butler,  Patterson,  and  Gushing — the  famous  Colonel 
Hays,  with  his  Texas  Rangers,  accompanied  General  Patterson. 
Some  troops  have  been  assigned  to  towns  further  in  the  interior; 


A  MIXED  DISH  FEOM  MEXICO.  163 

our  own  battalion  remains  with  General  Persifer  P.  Smith,  governor 
of  the  city,  since  the  departure  of  General  Quitman.  Governor 
Smith,  in  wisdom,  equals  General  Smith  in  valour,  which  is  saying 
a  great  deal. 

There  is  extensive  sickness  throughout  the  troops  quartered  in  the 
city ;  fevers  abound,  and  they  assume  a  low  typhoid  type,  difficult  to 
manage,  except  in  good  constitutions.  We  have  our  vicissitudes  of 
weather ;  some  three  weeks  of  summer,  and  one  of  winter  during  the 
month,  when  the  raw,  keen  winds  descend  upon  us  from  the  moun 
tains.  The  men  are,  besides,  considerably  crowded  in  their  apart 
ments,  which  is  particularly  trying  to  those  who  have  spent  their 
lives  at  home  in  open  fields,  in  the  pursuits  of  agriculture. 

General  Smith  has  established  a  military  police  of  400  select 
men  from  the  army ;  that  he  has  established  at  the  palace,  and  in 
four  different  sections  of  the  city.  My  two  messmates  have  been 
assigned  to  the  command  of  two  of  the  companies,  thus  breaking 
up  my  domestic  arrangements,  for  the  good  of  the  service.  The 
arrangement  is  admirable :  small  parties,  well  armed,  patrol  all 
parts  of  the  city  every  night ;  and  marauders,  Mexican  or  Ameri 
can,  are  seized  and  committed  for  trial,  so  promptly,  that  we  begin 
to  hope  for  a  change  equal  to  that  effected  by  Tacon,  in  Havana. 


LETTER   XXXVII. 

Social  Intercourse — Informal  Calls — Accomplishments  Cultivated — Topics 
of  Conversation — Manner  of  Passing  Evenings — Spaniards  vs.  Mexicans — 
Geography  at  a  Discount — Education  among  the  Wealthy  Improving — 
Women  of  the  Middle  Class. 

City  of  Mexico,  January,  1848. 

I  SPEND,  perhaps,  on  an  average,  two  evenings  a  week  in  social 
intercourse  with  resident  families.  Every  polite  head  of  a  family 
puts  his  house  at  your  disposal,  and  everything  therein ;  his  house 
is  the  casa  de  usted,  but  that  is  a  mere  form,  and  not  to  be  under- 


164  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

stood  as  an  invitation,  unless  accompanied  by  a  manner  of  undoubted 
earnestness.  When  you  make  an  informal  call,  a  cup  of  chocolate 
may  be  handed,  with  a  bit  of  bread  or  cake,  after  which  mama 
takes  out  her  little  case  of  paper  segars,  hands  it  to  you  and  the 
elders  around  her,  and  then  commences  a  round  of  smoking  little 
interrupted  until  the  time  comes  for  taking  leave.  The  Ninas  (as 
the  daughters  are  affectionately  styled  in  the  family  circle),  do  not 
join  the  smokers,  so  that  the  fashion,  for  ladies,  appears  to  be  going 
out  with  the  rising  generation.  Some  little  games  of  fortune-tell 
ing,  &c.,  are  introduced  for  the  young  folks,  while  the  old  look  on 
with  approbation.  The  manners  of  the  children  towards  their 
parents  are  free,  yet  respectful,  and  neither  seem  to  impose  restraint 
on  the  other.  The  family  circle,  for  a  stranger,  is  rather  dull,  gene 
rally,  except  where  music  is  introduced,  as,  by  the  way,  it  very  com 
monly  is.  The  muchachos  and  muchachas  (boys  and  girls),  are  both 
better  instructed  in  accomplishments  than  in  practical  knowledge ; 
the  education  of  the  girls  is  particularly  defective.  Music,  in  many 
families,  is  highly  cultivated  by  both  sexes ;  drawing  and  painting 
among  the  boys,  and  embroidery  among  the  girls,  have  also  many 
proficients;  but,  when  it  comes  to  waltzing  and  dancing,  there  is  no 
limitation ;  young  and  old,  grave  and  gay,  seem  to  waltz  by  intui 
tion  ;  and  the  American,  with  his  utilitarian  views,  who  has  devoted 
his  life  to  filling  his  head  with  such  stuff  as  grammar,  geography, 
and  arithmetic,  to  putting  steam  in  traces,  and  writing  his  letters  in 
lightning,  all  at  the  expense  of  his  heels,  is  a  sujeto  mui  mal  in- 
struido,  indeed.  The  ladies  have  a  very  limited  fund  of  conversa 
tion,  when  the  topic  of  music  is  exhausted ;  they  do  ask  numerous 
questions  concerning  the  manners,  customs,  and  appearance  of  their 
sex  in  the  United  States,  giving,  at  times,  some  very  slight  hints  of 
their  own  superiority.  They  have  generally  very  small  feet  and 
hands,  of  which  they  are  exceedingly  proud,  and,  with  something  of 
a  triumphant  air,  they  mention  having  heard  that  our  ladies  are  not 
remarkable  in  this  particular.  I  declare  that  ours  are  so  many 
Cinderellas,  at  which  they  look  very  incredulous.  Nothing  from 
the  States  amuses  them  so  much  as  the  accounts  of  Tom  Thumb ; 
an  hombre  tan  chiquitito,  as  to  be  compared  with  the  dedo  pulgarj 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  165 

(thumb,)  and  yet  so  well  made  and  rational,  and  a  general  too ! 
The  idea  is  enchanting.  I  have  described  him  a  hundred  times 
(without  ever  having  seen  him),  and  the  interest  he  excites  is  uni 
versal.  The  ladies  have  all  heard  of  him ;  and  if  Mr.  Polk  wants 
to  send  a  lion  here  as  commissioner,  Tom  Thumb  would  be  the 
man,  as  better  known  than  any  statesman  in  America.  Then  the 
senoritas  are  so  crazy  to  see  him  ! 

When  a  sufficient  company  is  in  the  house  for  a  little  dance,  the 
couples  are  on  the  floor  immediately;  the  piano  is  put  in  requisi 
tion,  and  off  they  go.  The  old  folks  probably  sit  down  to  a  game 
of  tresittoj  which  finds  the  favour  here  that  whist  does  in  English 
society,  while  it  appears  to  exercise  equally  the  memory  and  judg 
ment.  At  times  the  betting  is  pretty  free,  and  pesos  (dollars), 
change  hands  with  some  rapidity.  This  is  the  smallest  scale  of 
Mexican  gaming.  The  youngsters  are  much  more  innocently  en 
gaged  in  music  and  dancing.  Now  and  then  some  fair  damsel  is 
called  to  the  piano  for  a  song,  and  you  are  surprised  with  a  beauti 
ful  piece  of  music  from  an  Italian  opera,  in  which  even  the  original 
language  is  preserved.  Other  voices,  male  and  female,  are  gene 
rally  ready  to  strike  in  at  the  chorus.  If  any  laughing,  bright-eyed 
Andalusian  is  present,  she  will  favour  the  company  with  some  of 
the  lively  chansonnettes  of  her  native  land;  a  portion  of  Spain 
where  an  almost  French  vivacity  predominates  greatly  over  the  pro 
verbial  gravity  of  Spaniards. 

Spanish  residents  consider  themselves  generally  far  superior  to  the 
Mexicans,  and  with  this  much  reason,  that  they  have  had  the  ad 
vantage  of  a  residence  in  two  worlds.  The  Mexicans  yet  look  upon 
Spain  with  a  reverence  she  has  long  ceased  to  obtain  from  any  other 
part  of  the  world ;  at  the  same  time,  between  the  two  classes,  there 
is  little  love  lost.  The  Spaniards  hold  the  Mexicans  in  contempt, 
while  the  latter  regard  the  former  with  feelings  of  jealousy  and  dis 
trust.  They  are  known  in  Mexico  by  the  soubriquet  of  Gachupines. 
The  feeling,  which  was  once  very  bitter,  is  now,  however,  little  more 
than  a  reminiscence,  or  a  theory ;  the  parties  visit,  and  intermarry 
freely.  I  was  quite  entertained  a  few  evenings  since  by  a  conversa 
tion  between  an  old  lady,  who  had  never  been  out  of  hearing  of  the 


166 

Cathedral  bells,  and  an  American  officer ;  she  was  curious  to  be  in 
formed  of  his  travels,  and  her  questions  made  a  very  sufficient  expose 
of  her  attainments  in  geography.  Among  other  things,  she  wished 
to  know  what  was  the  principal  town  of  New  Orleans ;  and  whether 
he  had  ever  been  in  Spain  or  France.  "  I  have  never  been  in  Europe/' 
he  said.  "  Yes,  but  in  France  ?"  said  the  old  lady,  inquiringly,  when 
he  repeated  his  remark,  and  she  her  question.  The  gentleman  looked 
considerably  puzzled — must  he  explain  to  her  that  France  is  in  Eu 
rope  ?  However,  the  husband  came  to  the  rescue — he  saw  his  wife 
was  asking  very  foolish  questions,  and  abruptly  turned  the  conver 
sation.  I  do  not  think  the  old  lady  could  have  misunderstood  him ; 
more  likely,  in  her  mind  fair  jEspaha,  with  the  great  nations  of  An 
dalusia,  Castilla,  Gralicia,  &c.,  was  a  convertible  term  with  Europe. 
This  was  an  extreme  case,  doubtless,  but  probably  not  a  solitary 
one.  Per  contra,  I  may  mention  having  met  with  a  young  married 
lady,  Mexican  born,  whose  acquaintance  with  the  affairs  of  modern 
Europe  was  very  accurate  and  extensive  ;  she  was  versed  in  the  better 
kind  of  French  literature,  and  was  withal  highly  educated.  I  was 
very  much  surprised,  but  learned  on  inquiry,  that  her  parents,  who 
are  of  the  ricos  hombres,  millionaires,  of  Mexico,  had  spared  neither 
pains  nor  expense  to  procure  for  their  children  the  first  masters. 
This,  then,  is  another  extreme  case.  I  have  been  much  gratified,  in 
the  social  circles  of  Mexico,  in  observing  the  filial  respect  of  chil 
dren  to  their  parents — the  fond  attachment  of  the  elders  is  rewarded 
by  the  devotion  of  the  juniors — a  trait  that  is  sure  to  enlist  respect 
and  good-will  wherever  seen. 

A  Mexican  gentleman  never  completes  his  education  in  Mexico ; 
he  travels  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  and  occasionally  in  England 
or  the  United  States,  after  a  collegiate  course,  partial  or  complete, 
in  Spain  or  France.  Such  persons  consequently  have  much  more 
liberal  and  enlightened  views  than  the  mass  of  their  countrymen. 
The  study  of  the  French  and  English  languages  is  becoming  much 
attended  to  by  the  rising  generation  of  both  sexes ;  accomplished 
French  teachers  are  not  scarce,  females  particularly,  though  there 
are  perhaps  not  two  competent  teachers  of  English  in  Mexico. 

Now  and  then,  I  drop  in  at  some  of  the  shops  kept  by  women, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  167 

and  make  a  small  purchase  the  pretext  for  a  long  talk.  'they  are 
habitually  shrewd,  and  frequently  intelligent.  Some  of  them,  indeed, 
read  much  more  than  their  superiors  in  the  social  scale.  I  found 
one  reading  a  French  Telemaque,  without  instruction.  I  assisted 
her  a  little,  which  gave  her  an  exalted  idea  of  my  scholarship,  and 
led  her  to  express  her  views  pretty  freely  on  history,  politics,  lan 
guages,  Mexican  character,  religion,  &c.  She  repelled  indignantly 
a  remark  I  quoted  from  a  Spaniard,  that  the  ladrones  made  offer 
ings  to  their  patron  saints  to  give  them  success  in  their  unlawful 
excursions ;  she  said,  they  were  bad  enough  for  anything,  but  not 
such  fools  as  that  implied.  Her  religious  toleration  far  exceeded 
my  expectations ;  she  thought  G-od  alone  could  judge  for  the  fate  of 
Catholic  or  Protestant,  Jew  or  Gentile ;  and  that  men  are  only  re 
sponsible  according  to  the  lights  given  to  them. 


LETTER   XXXVIII. 

A  delightful  Book  for  studying  Spanish  —  Tasks  —  Recess  —  Precautions 
against  Robbers — Prescott's  History — A  Visit  to  Tacuba— Expenses  of 
Living — Aztec  Club — Visit  to  a  Cotton  Factory. 

City  of  Mexico,  February,  1848. 

I  HAVE  made  a  valuable  acquaintance  in  the  person  of  a  gentle 
man  of  the  city,  who  completed  his  education  in  England.  Being 
an  exceedingly  well-informed  man,  his  society  is  particularly  desir 
able.  He  expressed  an  anxiety  to  keep  up  his  acquaintance  with 
our  language,  while  I  am  equally  desirous  of  mastering  his ;  so  we 
resolved  to  lend  each  other  a  hand,  and  the  result  is  highly  gratify 
ing.  For  some  time  back  my  attention  had  been  captivated  by 
large  street  bills,  announcing  for  sale  "  Historia  de  la  Conquista  de 
MejicOj  por  Don  Guillermo  Prescott,"  which  I  had  determined  to 
read ;  and  I  was  much  pleased  upon  learning  that  Don  II had 


168  EL  PUCHERO,  OE 

a  copy  in  his  possession,  translated  by  his  personal  friend,  Don  Lucas 
Alaman.  We  went  to  work  with  a  right  good  will;  I  read  the 
portion  for  the  evening  to  Don  R.  (in  his  parlour),  who  corrects  niy 
pronunciation,  after  which  he  takes  the  book,  and  renders  the  Spa 
nish  into  good  English ;  then  in  comes  a  hissing  tea-kettle,  and  my 
friend,  who  learned  other  things  in  England  beside  the  idiom,  brews 
a  hot  gin  toddy,  and  offers  wine,  cordial,  chocolate,  or  other  beve 
rage,  according  to  circumstances.  La  Senorita — (young  married 
ladies  in  Mexico,  scarcely  old  ones  indeed,  like  the  more  formal 
Senora,  Mrs.,  or  Madam) — gives  us  her  company  and  conversation 
for  half  an  hour,  smokes  a  paper  segar  or  two,  while  Don  R.  and 
myself  demolish  each  &puro;  then  she  leaves  the  field  for  us  to  re 
sume  our  duties.  Don  R.  gives  me  some  well-written  book  of  simple 
style  from  his  library,  as  Chesterfield's  Letters,  which  I  render  into 
Spanish,  after  a  fashion,  though  he  is  polite  enough  to  say  I  do  it 
remarkably  well.  These  sessions  we  have  on  stated  evenings ;  be 
tween  ten  and  eleven,  I  buckle  on  my  armour  for  the  long,  lonely 
walk  homeward.  The  same  precautions  are  always  reiterated,  "  Be 
ware  of  the  ladrones;  keep  in  the  middle  of  the  streets;  give  a  wide 
berth  to  the  corners/'  &c.;  all  of  which  goes  to  show  the  miserable 
state  of  this  great  city,  where  honest  people  dare  not  walk  at  night, 
without  the  fear  of  being  sprung  upon  by  robbers  from  behind  every 
dark  recess  or  corner.  With  a  sword  and  revolver,  however,  an 
American  may  pursue  his  way  in  peace.  I  always  carry  them  at 
night,  but  have  never  had  occasion  to  use  either.  These  valiant 
assassins,  who  are  so  familiar  with  "cold  iron,"  have  the  most  holy 
horror  of  firearms,  which  few  of  them  know  how  to  use.  They  sup 
pose  all  American  officers  provided  with,  and  ready  to  use  them, 
which  is  probably  the  reason  we  pass  unmolested. 

This  tSenor  Prescott's  work  is  one  of  intense  interest,  read  in  any 
country;  you  may  suppose  how  much  it  is  enhanced  here,  where  one 
may  look  out  from  his  windows  upon  hills  and  valleys  immortalized 
by  the  scenes  our  gifted  countryman  describes  so  vividly.  I  this 
day  read  his  thrilling  account  of  the  noche  triste,  when  Cortes  and 
his  adventurous  little  band  made  their  retreat  to  Tacuba  (which  I 
visited  a  few  days  ago).  They  pushed  on  rapidly,  but  mournfully, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  169 

for  the  friendly  soil  of  their  Tlaxcalan  allies,  taking  some  slight 
repose  at  a  temple,  a  few  miles  beyond  Tacuba,  on  an  elevation 
where  now  stands  (plainly  visible  from  my  position)  the  church  of 
Nuestra  Sehora  de  los  Remedios.  Cortes'  victory  over  the  Aztecs 
at  Otumba  is  an  instance  of  truth  surpassing  fiction.  Brave  and 
adventurous  was  this  warrior  always ;  wonderful  in  prosperity,  but 
in  adversity  superhuman.  Tacuba  is  now  a  miserable  hamlet,  dis 
tinguished  only  for  its  history ;  a  very  antique  church,  said  to  have 
been  founded  by  the  conqueror,  is  the  most  noticeable  object  to  a 
stranger.  The  route  we  took  (a  small  party  of  officers)  led  us  by 
Alvarado's  Leap  and  the  causeway,  through  a  region  so  densely 
populated,  for  the  first  four  miles,  after  passing  through  the  garita 
(of  San  Cosme),  as  to  appear  a  continuation  of  the  city.  On  either 
side  were  low,  rich  fields,  covered  by  the  lake  in  the  days  of  the 
conquest,  now  reclaimed,  and  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  From 
Tacuba  we  proceeded  to  the  Carmelite  convent  of  San  Joaquin  (pro 
nounced  walk  in),  where  we  were  politely  received  by  the  friars, 
and  shown  around  their  ample  grounds  and  gardens.  We  took  a 
roundabout  course  homeward,  riding  over  a  desert  to  Molino  del 
Rey,  having  passed  for  several  miles  but  a  single  mansion  (Hacienda 
de  los  Morales),  which  was  surrounded  by  its  vineyards  (maguey 
plant).  We  then  returned  by  Chapultepec  to  the  city.  Comparing 
my  own  observations  with  Mr.  Prescott's  descriptions,  I  cannot  but 
be  astonished  at  the  accuracy  of  the  latter,  the  more  wonderful  when 
we  remember  they  are  from  the  pen  of  a, student,  who,  thousands  of 
miles  distant  from  the  scenes  he  paints  so  truly,  cannot  even  enjoy 
the  sight  of  those  around  him.  His  is  a  striking  instance  of  genius 
prevailing  over  misfortune.  Intelligent  Mexicans  hold  his  name  in 
sincere  and  hearty  veneration. 

Living  in  this  .city,  in  high  life,  appears  to  be  an  expensive  busi 
ness,  averaging  in  families  addicted  to  style,  from  ten  to  twenty 
thousand  dollars  per  annum.  This  great  expenditure  does  not  reach 
as  far  as  with  us,  on  account  of  the  high  prices  paid  here  for  all  luxu 
ries.  My  informant,  a  Spanish  resident  merchant,  told  me  that,  in 
some  cases,  four  or  five  thousand  dollars  are  consumed  annually  in 
keeping  up  coaches,  horses,  mules,  and  servants.  It  is  a  matter  of 

15 


170 

pride  and  rivalry  to  keep  a  variety  of  elegant  coaches,  which  are 
bought  at  an  enormous  price,  kept  in  repair  at  rates  unknown 
among  our  mechanics,  and  taxed  beyond  credence.  Mexican  horses 
are  never  driven ;  either  mules,  that  bring  some  five  hundred  dollars 
a  pair  when  well  broken,  or  frisones,  northern  horses  that  sometimes 
bring  a  thousand  dollars  each,  are  used  by  the  gentry.  The  horde  of 
servants  retained  in  wealthy  families  should  scarcely  be  reckoned 
among  luxuries ;  they  might  be  better  classed  as  necessary  nuisances. 
Rents,  taxes,  furniture,  dress,  theatre,  &c.,  run  up  the  remaining 
expenses.  The  hotels  are  very  expensive,  and  not  the  most  com 
fortable  ;  a  number  of  the  officers  have  associated  themselves  into  a 
very  pleasant  society,  under  the  title  of  the  Aztec  Club,  where  good 
cheer  may  be  had  by  members  at  moderate  rates,  and  good  company 
for  nothing.  There  is  perhaps  as  much  comfort  at  the  club  as  in 
the  princely  mansions  of  the  wealthiest  Mexicans. 
x  By  invitation,  I  rode  some  days  ago  with  a  Spanish  resident  to 
visit  a  cotton  factory  belonging  to  an  English  manufacturer,  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Contreras,  beyond  San  Angel.  The  proprietor, 
who  married  in  this  country,  entertained  us  with  true  English 
hospitality.  In  the  fastnesses  of  Mexico  he  adheres  to  his  ale,  and 
his  old  port,  that  he  brought  out  in  profusion,  and  though  we  were 
too  early  for  dinner,  about  two  o'clock,  he  had  a  collation  set  con 
sisting  of  various  dishes,  piping  hot  from  the  kitchen ;  among  others 
some  boiled  ham,  of  his  own  curing,  very  like  ours  of  Virginia.  He 
gave  us,  in  fact,  little  time,  to  look  at  the  works,  which  are  plied  by 
native  operatives.  The  machinery  was,  for  the  most  part,  from  the 
United  States  (Patterson,  New  Jersey) ;  some  of  the  looms,  &c., 
however,  were  English  and  French.  He  informed  me  that  he  ob 
tains  his  raw  cotton  from  New  Orleans,  which  stands  him,  at  his  fac 
tory,  about  five  times  the  original  cost.  While  we  were  at  his  house  a 
number  of  Mexicans  passed,  carrying  loads  of  fire-arms,  which  they 
had  found  and  concealed  after  the  battles.  It  gave  our  host  great  un 
easiness,  as  he  said  numerous  murders  were  committed  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  every  Sunday  and  feastday.  We  accompanied  him  to  the 
nearest  alcalde,  or  judge,  a  slip-shod  half-breed,  who  had  courage 
enough  to  arrest  the  party  carrying  arms,  of  which  he  relieved  them. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  171 

Our  English  friend  told  us  he  did  this  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  and  that 
he  himself  had  incurred  a  great  risk  in  giving  information.  The  judge 
kept  a  small  shop,  and  offered  us  some  mescal,  the  alcoholic  product 
of  the  maguey.  It  resembles  Irish  whiskey.  Taking  leave,  we  re 
turned  through  San  Angel  and  the  antique  Coyoacan,  where  Cortes 
desfred  his  remains  should  repose,  thence  through  a  most  picturesque 
country,  to  the  city. 


LETTER   XXXIX. 

Gran  funcion  at  the  Plaza  de  Toros ;  Anglice,  a  Bull-fight — Circus— Pano 
rama — Carnaval — Ash-Wednesday — The  Viceroys — Introduction  of  Cop 
per  Coin  among  the  Indians — Velasco — His  manly  stand  in  favour  of  the 
Oppressed — La  Viga. 

City  of  Mexico,  March,  1848. 

UPON  a  single  occasion,  I  was  led  by  curiosity  to  the  Plaza  de 
Toros,  where  a  grand  funcion  (every  diversion  here  is  a  funcion) 
was  announced  for  the  opening  of  the  season.  I  cannot  say  that  I 
was  disappointed,  inasmuch  as  my  tastes  were  not  likely  to  be  grati 
fied  there ;  I  went  to  see  a  national  diversion,  once  called  the  "  gen 
tlest  pastime"  of  Spain,  and  which  has  for  so  many  centuries  main 
tained  unrivalled  popularity  among  the  people  of  that  country,  and 
the  wide-spread  nations  acknowledging  that  origin.  We  had  a 
poor  entertainment;  half  a  dozen  bulls  were  successively  let  in, 
worried  unwillingly  to  combat,  and  soon  despatched  by  the  hands  of 
the  Matador.  My  sympathies,  little  roused,  inclined  to  the  bulls. 
The  building  for  the  purpose  is  a  large  amphitheatre ;  the  vast  open 
space  of  the  centre  is  enclosed  by  a  circle  of  sheds,  of  two  or  three 
tiers,  for  the  spectators.  The  division  of  seats  is  for  the  "sunny 
side"  and  the  "  shady  side  j"  the  latter,  of  course,  belonging  to  the 
aristocracy.  A  full  band  of  music  amused  the  spectators,  until 
everything  was  in  readiness ;  when,  at  a  proper  signal,  the  first  bull 


172  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

was  let  into  the  arena,  whose  ferocity  was  confined  to  attempts  to 
clear  the  barrier,  and  make  his  escape.  Worried,  however,  by  the 
banderilleros,  a  set  of  attendants  armed  with  sharp  arrow-like 
goads,  ornamented  with  rosettes  and  streamers  of  ribands,  which 
they  discharged  upon  his  neck  and  shoulders,  where  they  hung  sus 
pended,  floating  in  the  air,  he  turned  on  his  tormentors,  rushed  at 
a  picador  (one  of  the  mounted  assailants),  and  lifting  horse  and 
rider  on  his  horns,  threw  them  over  a  low  barrier  into  a  smaller 
ring,  intended  for  circus  feats ;  the  horse  would  have  been  killed, 
but  that  the  points  of  the  enraged  animal's  horns  had  been  sawed 
off  (to  the  indignation  of  the  spectators),  so  as  to  prevent  his  goring. 
The  attendants,  or  functionaries,  wore  rich,  tight-fitting  dresses, 
highly  adorned,  and  on  their  shoulders  light  scarlet  mantles,  for  the 
purpose  of  enraging  the  bull.  The  dress  of  the  matador  was  of 
rich  silk,  splendidly  embroidered  with  gold  and  silver.  This  gen 
tleman  is  a  character  of  no  small  importance  in  his  own  estimation, 
and  that  of  numerous  admirers.  There  were  no  ladies  present — 
but  few  women,  and  they  of  the  lowest. 

The  circus  company  that  came  with  the  army,  has  not  been  very 
well  supported.  I  made  one  call  there  for  the  purpose  of  seeing 
the  theatre  occupied  by  them,  which  before  the  building  of  the 
nacional,  was  considered  a  fine  establishment.  It  is  now  deserted, 
for  its  more  showy  rival,  except  by  inferior  companies  of  native 
artists,  and  those  who  look  for  cheap  entertainments. 

I  have  had  no  gratification  in  the  way  of  sight-seeing  in  Mexico, 
equal  to  the  panoramic  view  from  the  lofty  towers  of  the  Cathedral. 
Ascending,  you  pass  through  the  ample  apartments  of  the  bell- 
ringer's  family  above  the  roof,  and  immediately  under  the  belfry. 
The  eye,  from  the  latter,  ranges  over  the  proud  city,  looking  down 
upon  its  domes  and  terraced  roofs,  over  the  beautiful  valley,  dotted 
with  its  lakes  and  mountains,  fields,  chapels,  villages,  and  castles. 
On  the  plain,  beyond  the  gate  of  San  Lazaro,  may  be  seen  at  times, 
a  body  of  troops  going  through  their  division  drill,  with  the  accOm- 
paniaments  of  dragoons  and  flying  artillery,  resembling,  in  the 
distance,  a  puppet  show ;  crowds  of  pigmy  people,  pigmy  coaches, 
horses,  padres,  soldiers,  water-carriers,  women,  children,  Indians, 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  173 

donkeys,  fill  the  streets  and  plaza,  reminding  you  by  their  motions, 
of  the  shifting  machinery  used  by  artists,  to  serve  up  precisely  simi 
lar  scenes. 

On  the  8th  inst.,  I  was  reminded  that  Lent  had  set  in,  by  seeing 
crowds  of  persons,  generally  females,  returning  to  their  homes  with 
the  cross,  of  ashes,  on  their  foreheads.  It  was  Ash- Wednesday. 
For  a  week  previous,  the  city  had  been  enjoying  the  carnaval,  with 
less  display,  however,  than  under  other  circumstances.  There  were 
some  masquerades,  public  and  low,  and  private  and  respectable. 
From  my  windows,  I  witnessed  a  private  one  across  the  way  j  the 
masks  wore  a  great  variety  of  costumes,  and  the  scene,  with  the  gay 
music  and  dancing,  was  quite  attractive.  The  shops  were  perfect 
museums  of  disfraces  ;  full-rigged  figures,  like  actors  representing 
various  ages,  stood  arrayed,  ready  to  give  up  their  spoils  to  players, 
not,  like  themselves,  dummies.  Vive  la  bagetelle  ! 

I  have  two  Spanish  works  on  my  table  of  great  interest ;  one,  a 
poem  of  the  first  order,  "  El  Moro  exposito,  o  Cordoba  y  Burgos," 
by  Don  Angel  de  Saavedra,  which  is  highly  recommended  to  me  as 
containing  lofty  sentiment,  in  pure  language,  without  any  of  the 
bombast  in  which  Spanish  poets  indulge  so  freely ;  the  other,  "  El 
Liceo  Mejicano"  a  spirited  literary  periodical,  that  enjoyed  a  few 
years  of  existence  in  this  city.  I  borrowed  it  for  the  purpose  of 
reading  the  histories  of  the  viceroys,  published  in  a  series  of  articles 
embracing  a  great  portion  of  the  Mexican  history  of  their  times. 

The  first  viceroy,  Mendoza,  introduced  copper  coin  for  general 
circulation,  which  the  Indians  of  his  day  resolutely  refused  to  re 
ceive  for  their  commodities.  They  scorned  so  base  a  circulating  me 
dium.  By  rigid  laws,  however,  they  were  forced  to  receive  it,  which 
they  appeared  to  do  cheerfully.  All  of  a  sudden  it  was  observed  that 
not  a  coin  of  that  metal  was  to  be  found.  The  Indians,  by  concert, 
had  collected  all  that  was  to  be  had,  and  thrown  it  into  the  lakes. 
A  small  silver  coin  (cuartillo),  equal  to  two  copper  clacos,  or  three 
cents  of  our  currency,  was  introduced,  which  followed  the  fate  of 
the  copper.  The  objection  to  them  was  their  small  size  and  liability 
to  be  lost.  At  this  day,  the  poor  Indians  rarely  touch  any  more 

15* 


174  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

precious  pieces  than  the  lowly  clacos  their  fathers  treated  with  so 
much  scorn. 

Without  continuing  the  lives  of  the  viceroys,  the  bold  stand 
taken  by  the  second,  Velasco,  in  favour  of  the  weak  against  the 
strong,  the  oppressed  against  the  oppressor,  deserves  commemora 
tion.  He  devoted  himself  to  rescuing  from  a  most  cruel  slavery 
the  unhappy  children  of  the  nations  of  Anahuac  ;  they  were  worked 
to  death  in  the  mines,  and  when  his  efforts  were  bitterly  opposed  by 
the  proprietors  and  the  king's  officers,  saying,  that  their  emancipa 
tion  would  leave  no  workmen  for  the  mines,  his  reply  was,  "  That 
the  liberty  of  the  Indians  was  of  more  importance  than  all  the  mines 
in  the  world,  and  as  to  the  rents  of  the  crown  from  this  source, 
they  could  not  justify  the  trampling  under  foot  of  all  human  and 
divine  laws." 

At  this  season  (Lent),  the  fashionable  afternoon  drive  shifts  from 
the  Paseo  to  La  Viga,  a  beautiful  avenue,  ornamented  on  both 
sides  with  luxuriant  shade-trees  and  flanked  its  entire  length,  on 
the  eastern  side,  by  the  canal  to  Chalco.  Double  lines  of  coaches, 
public  and  private,  the  former  generally  very  rusty,  and  the  latter 
very  elegant  equipages,  pass  gaily  up  one  side  and  down  the  other, 
freighted  with  the  wealthy  and  the  fair  of  Mexico.  Papa  and 
mamma  (padre,  father,  and  madre,  mother,  are  terms  not  used  in 
domestic  life, — they  are  considered  too  stiff  for  household  use,) 
throw  themselves  back  in  state,  not  deigning  to  see  the  dashing 
cavaliers  who  gallop  by  on  their  fiery  frisones  ;  but  the  bright-eyed 
sehoritas  are  more  observant,  and  are  not  so  wanting  in  charity  as 
to  throw  themselves  back  where  their  fair  faces  would  be  hidden 
from  the  admiring  gaze  of  the  gallant  invaders.  The  canal  is 
covered  with  boats  as  various  in  their  fashions  as  the  coaches ;  they 
are  occupied  by  Indians,  who  enjoy  themselves  singing  and  dancing, 
and  playing  on  rude  instruments  of  music.  Each  boat  is  a  floating 
flower-garden,  from  which  the  occupants  of  the  coaches  buy  wreaths 
to  crown  their  children.  The  coaches  have  their  halting-places  at 
semicircular  expansions  of  the  road,  where  they  turn  in  and  face  to 
front,  resting  long  enough  to  allow  the  compliments  of  the  day 
between  friends,  and  to  make  a  few  observations  on  the  gay  throng 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  175 

in  niotioi*  Then  the  bucks  run  the  gauntlet !  As  the  dews  of 
evening  begin  to  fall,  first  goes  one  coach,  then  another,  then  a 
section  of  horsemen,  then  other  coaches  and  other  horsemen,  until 
the  last  lingering  group  leave  the  ground  to  find  themselves  bring 
ing  up  the  rear  of  a  great  procession,  until  the  parties  diverge  to 
their  respective  homes. 


LETTER    XL. 

Convicts  in  Chain-gangs — Their  Employment — Temporary  Marriages — 
Fueros,  or  Special  Privileges — Magic — Hospital  de  Jesus — Portrait  of 
Cortes — Diversions  modified  by  Lent — Names,  and  Diminutives — Religious 
Emblems. 

City  of  Mexico,  March,  1848. 

A  COMPANY  of  about  a  hundred  prisoners  in  a  chain-gang,  (re 
minding  one  of  the  worthy  party  released  by  the  valiant  knight  of 
La  Mancha,)  have  been  passing  my  quarters  daily,  of  late,  carrying 
picks,  shovels,  spades,  and  other  utensils  for  cleaning  and  repairing 
the  streets.  This  important  duty  falls  principally  on  them,  for 
though  the  Ayuntamiento  levies  annually  heavy  taxes  for  that  very 
purpose,  many  of  the  citizens  think  the  sums  collected  tend  rather 
to  soil  the  hands  of  certain  of  the  functionaries,  than  to  sweeten  the 
highways  and  by-ways  of  the  city.  The  keeping  the  last  clean,  and 
in  order,  is  difficult  in  the  extreme,  as  may  be  readily  understood 
when  it  is  remembered  the  city  is  in  the  bottom  of  the  basin,  and 
that  efficient  drainage  is  impossible.  The  citizens  know  that  large 
sums  are  collected  for  the  purpose,  and  expended — how  collected 
they  know  full  well ;  but  how  expended,  is  altogether  another  ques 
tion.  The  work  done  is  effected  principally  by  the  convicts,  who 
are  sent  out  in  gangs  under  charge  of  an  armed  escort  of  soldiers, 
mounted  and  on  foot.  The  convicts  are  chained  in  couples — an  iron 


176  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

girdle  around  the  middle  connects  by  a  chain  six  feet  long  with 
another  girdle  around  another  prisoner ;  thus  making  an  unwilling 
pair  of  Siamese  twins,  to  spend  years  together,  if  not  a  lifetime. 
The  chains  go  clinking  over  the  stones,  sounding,  when  the  company 
is  large,  like  many  little  tinkling  bells ;  a  most  grating  music,  no 
doubt,  to  those  who  wear  them.  The  poor  wretches,  vile  and  crimi 
nal  as  they  undoubtedly  are,  enjoy  a  little  human  sympathy,  for  by 
many  a  one  trudges  the  poor  wife,  or  yuerida,*  more  faithful,  per 
haps,  in  adversity  than  she  ever  was  in  prosperity. 

The  Mexican  commonalty  think  our  ideas  of  marriage  as  loose  as 
their  own.  A  sprightly  dame  of  the  middle  class,  asked  me  if  it 
was  not  the  custom  in  the  United  States  for  couples  to  marry  for  a 
term  of  years,  according  to  special  agreement.  I  told  her  no,  that 
people  were  married  for  life,  like  the  respectable  classes  of  her  own 
country.  She  contradicted  me  promptly,  saying  that  an  English 
resident,  who  had  passed  some  time  in  the  United  States,  had  made 
her  acquainted  with  our  customs,  and  that  she  knew  the  temporary 
marriages  were  among  them.  I  said,  rather  roughly,  that  the 
Englishman  had  been  imposing  on  her;  that,  in  short,  he  was  a 
gross  liar.  "  Oh  !  don't  be  angry,"  she  said,  "I  know  it  is  a  cus 
tom  of  your  country,  but  I  did  not  think  of  finding  fault  with  you 
for  it ;  I  am  sure  the  blame  is  not  yours."  I  laughed  at  her  mis 
conception,  but  she  looked  upon  it  as  an  admission,  and  added  I 
might  as  well  have  admitted  the  truth  from  the  first,  as  she  had 
American  as  well  as  English  authority  for  her  information.  I  could 
only  suppose  that  some  unworthy  countryman  of  ours  had  been  him 
self  in  pursuit  of  a  better  half  in  a  connexion,  tied  by  a  slip-knot, 
that  should  only  last  "  during  the  war." 

Certain  orders  in  this  country  retain  privileges  the  most  anti-re 
publican  in  their  nature,  unworthy  remains  of  the  days  of  monarchical 

rule.  A  case  has  just  come  under  my  notice.  Don  R has  a 

claim  against  a  Mexican  army  ofiicer,  which  is  incontestably  good, 
and  not  even  disputed  by  the  latter,  but  he  throws  himself  on  his 
fueros,  (privileges  referred  to,)  by  which  a  military  man  is  put  above 

*  Querida,  mistress.  They  assume  the  fidelity  of  the  wife  for  the  time 
being.  The  Spanish  language  has  no  word  proper  for  wife.  La  Sefiora  is 
only  Don  Fulano's  mujer,  woman.  ^tttr***,  - 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  177 

the  civil  law.  The  debt  cannot  be  collected  except  judgment  be 
given  by  a  military  court,  so  that  at  present,  in  the  disorganized 
state  of  the  Mexican  army,  which  will  continue  indefinitely,  the  claim 
is  almost  worthless.  These  fueros  are  more  extensive  in  certain 
corps  of  the  army,  as  in  the  facultativos,  or  scientific  arms  of  artil 
lery,  engineering,  &c.,  than  in  others  less  favoured.  The  clergy, 
too,  have  their  fueros,  which  are  ample,  as  may  be  supposed. 

We  have  lionizing  here,  Herr  Alexander,  the  German  magician ; 
he  does  many  wonderful  things  to  amuse  and  astonish  us,  but  the 
most  remarkable  is,  that  he  draws  full  houses  at  the  National,  in 
cluding  a  fair  proportion  of  the  gentler  sex.  The  theatre  is  the 
nightly  resort  of  the  ladies  of  the  beau  monde  in  times  of  peace ; 
but  they  have  avoided  it  hitherto,  by  general  consent,  since  our 
occupation.  It  requires  a  disciple,  or  a  master  of  the  black  art,  to 
draw  them  out.  There  are  some  fine-looking  women  to  be  met  in 
such  places,  but  few  or  none  of  a  high  order  of  beauty.  Black  eyes 
and  dark  tresses  predominate,  but  the  beauties  of  Mexico  are  by  no 
means  exclusively  of  the  dark  order.  Blue  eyes  and  fair  hair  are 
not  uncommon,  and  are  much  admired. 

I  have  not  yet  written  to  you  of  the  "  Hospital  de  Jesus,"  a 
venerable  institution  to  which  I  paid  a  second  visit  some  days  ago. 
It  was  founded  and  endowed  by  the  immortal  Cortes,  and  contains 
many  memorials  of  himself  and  his  times.  I  had  the  pleasure  to 
meet  there  Don  Lucas  Alaman,  one  of  the  most  reputable  gentle 
men,  and  distinguished  literary  characters  of  Mexico.  Mr.  Alaman 
is  the  apoderado,  or  attorney,  of  the  heirs  of  the  conqueror,  and  is 
by  virtue  of  his  office  governor  of  the  hospital.  His  countenance 
expresses  a  high  degree  of  benevolence  and  intelligence,  both  of 
which  he  exercised  in  furnishing  our  gifted  Prescott  with  most  inte 
resting  details  of  the  conquest,  taken  from  the  archives  in  his  pos 
session.  Among  the  curiosities  of  the  Hospital  I  saw  historical 
documents,  in  manuscript,  that  have  been  kept  there  for  upwards  of 
three  hundred  years ;  the  original  signatures  of  the  conqueror,  of 
La  Marquesa  his  wife,  and  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  signed  to 
an  illuminated  manuscript  document,  (patent  of  nobility  to  "El 
Marques")  according  to  the  fashion  of  the  Spanish  sovereigns 
"  Yo,  EL  KEY."  We  (I  met  there  accidentally,  Colonel  Childs,  the 


178  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

distinguished  governor  of  Puebla,  escorted  by  Captain  N ,  2d 

Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  a  competent  cicerone  in  the  antiquities  of 
Mexico)  were  politely  shown  through  the  various  apartments  of  the 
Hospital,  as  in  the  wards,  where  there  are  at  present  forty  patients 
comfortably  provided  for,  by  the  bountiful  charity  of  the  founder ; 
into  the  original  chapel  where  he  worshipped,  now  used  as  a  labo 
ratory  for  the  service  of  the  hospital;  into  a  sacristry,  adjoining 
the  modern  chapel,  with  a  rich  ceiling  in  arabesque,  the  only  speci 
men  in  Mexico,  and  rarely  seen  in  Europe,  except  in  temples  and 
palaces  reared  by  the  Moors  during  their  domination.  In  one  of 
the  rooms  is  a  splendid  full-length  portrait  of  the  conqueror,  taken 
during  his  lifetime.  It  is  a  striking  picture,  and  looks  vraisembla- 
ble;  according  to  it,  the  hero  was  rather  a  slight  man,  of  graceful 
figure,  and  fine  countenance ;  a  fiery  devil  lurks  in  his  eye,  yet  every 
feature  of  his  face  is  winning. 

Public  amusements  are  less  attended  during  Lent,  than  at  other 
seasons ;  but,  in  my  visits,  I  have  found  music,  dancing,  and  cards 
quite  current  in  the  domestic  circle.  You  would  be  struck  by  the 
Christian  names  of  the  women  and  children;  thus,  half  the  boys 
seem  to  rejoice  in  the  nombre  (given  name)  of  Jose- Maria,  and  as 
many  of  the  gentler  sex  in  that  of  Jesus  (call  it  always,  Hai-soos). 
The  female  names  are  more  prominent,  as  they  are  addressed  by 
them,  by  everybody,  as  among  the  friends,  for  life.  It  sounds 
strange  enough,  at  first,  to  hear  a  young  girl  call  a  venerable  matron, 
old  enough  to  be  her  grandam,  Maria,  Antonia,  or  Anita,  but  it  is 
by  no  means  irreverent,  and  soon  passes  unnoticed.  Affectionate 
diminutives  are  in  universal  use;  thus,  Jesus  is  most  commonly 
turned  into  Jesusita  (Hai-su-se-ta),  Ana,  Anita,  &c.  A  great  strap 
ping  beggar  implores  your  aid,  not  for  a  pobre  (poor  man),  but  for 
&pobrecito,  that  is,  a  poor,  dear,  sweet  creature.  Such  a  person 
appealed  lately  to  me  as  a  caballarito  (a  sweet  little  caballero), 
making,  at  the  same  time,  a  piteous  statement  about  his  madrecita, 
his  dear  little  mother.  The  houses  of  this  country  show  the  devo 
tional  tendencies  of  the  people;  within,  are  pious  pictures;  with 
out,  very  commonly,  are  painted,  or  moulded  on  the  walls,  crosses, 
sacred  hearts ,  and  pious  ejaculations,  as  to  the  Santisimo  nombre 
de  Jesus. 


GENERAL  PILLOW. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  179 


LETTER  XL  I. 

Court  of  Inquiry — Hot  Springs — Former  Inundations — Surface  of  Lakes 
above  the  Level  of  the  City — Drains,  or  Desague — Floating  Gardens — 
Mexico,  a  Republic  only  in  Name — Social  Grades — Lawyers  and  Doctors. 

City  of  Mexico,  March,  1848. 

THE  Court  of  Inquiry  involving  the  cases  of  Generals  Scott  and 
Pillow  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Duncan,  is  now  in  session  at  the 
palace,  and  is  the  focus  of  attraction  for  the  army.  Generals  Tow- 
son,  Gushing,  and  Colonel  Belknap,  constitute  the  court ;  Captain 
S.  C.  Ridgely  is  the  judge-advocate.  I  frequently  look  in,  not  only 
to  hear  the  developments  brought  out  by  the  examination  of  witnesses, 
but  also  to  see  the  numerous  distinguished  officers  of  the  army  who 
daily  assemble  there.  General  Scott  frequently  addresses  the  court, 
and  always  with  visible  emotion ;  it  is  evident  that  he  is  deeply 
hurt  and  mortified,  at  being  stricken  down  from  his  high  command, 
where  he  rendered  such  eminent  services  to  his  country,  to  be  ar 
raigned  as  if  his  course  had  been  questionable  and  unsatisfactory.  If 
his  country  prove  ungrateful,  which  I  do  not  believe,  he  will  have  the 
melancholy  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  his  case  has  had  many  illus 
trious  precedents.  He  is  a  man  of  large  proportions,  about  six  feet 
five  inches  in  height,  without  being  unduly  tall ;  time  and  care  have 
traced  their  lines  on  his  ample  brow ;  and,  advanced  in  years  as  he 
is,  his  appearance  is  at  once  venerable  and  majestic.  Pillow,  his 
antagonist,  is  a  young  man,  apparently  little  over  forty,  and  may  be 
called  handsome.  He  is  no  doubt  a  man  of  some  talent,  and  I 
would  suppose  him  an  acute  and  shrewd  lawyer,  but  a  first-rate  in 
no  respect.  He  has  no  reputation  in  the  army  as  a  general,  but  is 
too  ambitious  a  person  to  keep  back  during  the  dangers  of  the  com 
bat,  so  that  his  personal  courage,  so  far  as  I  know,  is  unquestioned. 
Gushing  is  the  most  distingue-looking  man  in  the  court,  but  he 
looks  more  the  pale  student  than  the  doughty  general. 

Several  officers  and  myself  rode  a  few  days  ago  to  Pehon  de  los 


180  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

Bahos  (rock  of  the  baths),  a  place  of  note  a  league  from  the  city. 
From  the  base  of  an  isolated  rocky  knob  arises  a  fountain  of  hot 
water,  over  which  is  erected  a  large  stone  building  divided  into 
various  apartments  for  bathing  and  other  purposes.  The  baths  are 
said  to  be  valuable  in  rheumatic  cases,  and  are  resorted  to,  as  are 
the  springs  elsewhere,  with  this  difference,  that  in  this  case,  the 
visiters  have  to  carry  bag  and  baggage,  provisions  and  bedding. 
Empty  rooms,  with  kitchen  ranges  adjoining,  and  the  baths,  are  all 
that  money  will  obtain  from  the  keepers.  We  ascended  to  the 
mountain  top,  partly  on  horseback  and  partly  on  foot;  we  enjoyed 
a  hasty  view  of  Lake  Tescuco  and  the  many  beauties  of  this  won 
derful  valley,  but  we  did  not  venture  to  lose  sight  long  of  our  horses; 
several  Americans,  who  have  left  theirs  but  for  a  moment  in  this 
vicinity,  have  been  under  the  necessity  of  returning  to  the  city  on 
foot,  without  ever  learning  the  fate  of  their  animals  and  equip 
ments.  Solitary  horsemen  have  more  than  once  been  dismounted ; 
have  lost  their  horses,  and  barely  saved  their  lives.  This  kind  of 
robbery  is  so  common,  that  few  Mexicans  are  to  be  found  who  will 
venture  out  of  the  city  gates  alone.  Our  road  led  us  by  the  garita 
de  San  Lazaro,  near  which  is  a  leper  hospital,  which  is  always 
pretty  well  filled.  The  leprosy  of  Mexico  is  the  result,  direct  or 
indirect,  of  filthy  vices  and  abandoned  debauchery. 

In  the  sketches  of  the  lives  of  the  viceroys,  which  I  am  yet  read 
ing,  are  many  interesting  historical  details,  interwoven  with  endless 
petty  quarrels  between  the  viceroys  and  the  bishops ;  feuds  among 
different  orders  of  the  clergy;  the  mal-administration  and  per- 
verseness  of  the  royal  audiencias ;  the  revolts  of  Indians,  and  so 
forth,  all  tending  to  mar  the  welfare  of  the  suffering  people.  Gene 
ral  inundations  and  fearful  earthquakes  caused,  at  times,  great  deso 
lation,  but  were  scarcely  more  disastrous  to  the  masses  than  the 
factious  contests  of  their  local  rulers.  During  some  of  the  inunda 
tions,  the  waters  rose  to  the  height  of  eight  or  ten  feet  in  the  streets 
of  the  city,  drowning  thousands,  of  Indians  especially,  destroying 
their  habitations,  and  bringing,  secondarily,  pestilence  and  famine. 
Wide-spread  disease  followed  the  slow  drying  up  on  the  surrounding 
potreros,  or  low  grounds,  while  famine  followed  the  extensive  loss  of 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  181 

provisions  caused  by  the  floods.  It  became,  of  course,  a  matter  of 
the  first  importance  to  protect  the  community  from  such  disastrous 
visitations,  and  even  in  the  days  of  Montezuma,  dikes  and  drains 
were  made  at  great  labour  and  expense.  They  were,  however,  quite 
ineffectual,  so  much  so,  that  after  the  Spaniards  had  devoted  many 
years  of  scientific  labour  to  the  same  object,  as  late  as  from  1629  to 
1634,  the  streets  of  the  city  were  under  water,  and  intercourse  had 
to  be  carried  on  in  boats.  Many  expedients  were  devised  for  directing 
the  superabundant  water  of  the  lakes  out  of  the  valley,  which,  after 
many  delays,  was  at  length  effected.  Of  the  five  lakes  in  the  valley, 
the  surface  of  three  is  higher  than  the  level  of  the  city ;  of  the  three 
to  the  north  of  it,  that  of  Tescuco,  the  nearest,  is  some  three  feet 
below  that  level ;  that  of  San  Cristobal,  a  mile  beyond  Tescuco,  is 
eight  feet  above  it,  and  that  of  Zumpango,  a  league  to  the  north 
ward  and  westward,  is  about  twenty  feet  above  the  level  of  San 
Cristobal.  Into  Zumpango  emptied  the  river  G-uautillan;  and  as 
the  former  had  no  outlet,  during  a  long  prevalence  of  northerly 
winds,  its  waters  passed  to  San  Cristobal,  where,  uniting  in  one,  the 
two,  rushing  into  Tescuco,  spread  rapidly  over  the  low  shores  upon 
which  stands  the  city.  By  immense  labour,  the  Guautillan  has 
been  turned  from  Zumpango  to  the  river  Tula,  or  Montezuma,  by 
which  it  passes,  through  the  Rio  Tampico,  to  the  ocean.  Drains 
from  San  Cristobal  and  Tescuco  connect  with  the  great  river  channel, 
called  the  Rio  del  Desagiie  ;  and  thus  the  city  remains  free  from  the 
dangers  of  deluge.  This  diversion  of  waters,  while  it  saves  the  city, 
has  been  the  cause  of  robbing  the  valley  of  a  great  part  of  its  fer 
tility.  The  floating  gardens  we  read  so  much  of,  have  long  since 
disappeared;  there  are  now  to  be  seen  in  place  of  them,  slips  of  land 
reclaimed  from  the  marshes,  intersected  by  numerous  ditches,  and 
which  can  only  be  approached  in  boats.  These,  then,  represent  the 
floating  gardens,  and  contribute  to  supply  the  city  market  with 
fruits,  flowers,  and  vegetables. 

The  great  work  of  the  Desague,  or  drain  through  the  mountains, 
was  effected,  as  everything  else  in  Mexico  in  the  way  of  great  inter 
nal  improvement,  under  Spanish  dominion.  The  Mexicans  are  beset 
with  the  laisser  oiler  spirit  of  old  Cuffee,  who  would  not  leave  his 

16 


182 

chimney-corner  to  repair  his  leaky  roof  during  the  rain,  and  as  to 
repairing  it  during  dry  weather  that  was  useless,  as  the  old  roof 
answered  as  well  then  as  a  new  one.  The  Mexican  government  sits 
like  an  incubus  on  the  people,  doing  nothing  for  their  welfare,  and  the 
old  people  look  back  with  regret  to  the  old  regime.  They  say  it  is  a 
mockery  to  speak  of  the  Mexican  republic ;  that  they  have  the  burdens 
of  monarchy  without  its  stability.  That  abuses  abounded  during  the 
time  of  the  vice-regal  sway  is  admitted,  yet  in  those  days  it  appears 
there  was  greater  security  for  life  and  property.  The  scientific  esta 
blishments  planted  and  fostered  then,  have  now  dwindled  into  insig 
nificance  ;  the  great  highways  and  bridges  are  in  the  state  in  which 
the  republic  found  them,  except  for  the  ravages  of  time.  It  matters 
little  what  a  government  is  called,  the  spirit  of  a  republic  exists  not 
here.  The  old  nobility  retain  their  titles  (by  custom) ;  high  func 
tionaries  affect  princely  style,  and  the  humbler  empleados  practise 
more  than  courtly  servility.  Mexico,  to  become  a  republic,  wants 
regeneration,  wants  a  PEOPLE,  for  there  is  nothing  in  the  land  de 
serving  that  appellation.  The  middle  classes  (that  body  politic  that 
gives  strength  and  stability  to  states)  are  but  fragmentary;  great 
landholders  and  princely  merchants  represent  the  aristocracy ;  the 
army,  the  church,  shopkeepers,  artisans,  &c.,  and  adventurers,  and 
place-seekers  of  all  kinds,  fill  up  the  space  between  the  ricos  hom- 
bresj  and  the  peons  of  the  soil.  Your  honoured  profession  (law)  is 
in  the  hands  of  unworthy  members  generally,  who,  besides  a  cha 
racter  worse  than  indifferent  for  integrity,  have  neither  the  reputa 
tion  for  learning  or  talents,  so  common  to  the  bar  throughout  the 
civilized  world.  The  faculty  of  physic  embraces  some  clever  men, 
but  generally,  they  are  either  foreigners,  or  indebted  to  other  lands 
for  their  education. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  183 


LETTER   XLII. 

A  Change  of  Residence  —  The  House,  and  Family  —  A  Family  Dinner  —  The 
Market  —  Holy  Week  —  Palm  Sunday  —  A  Canonigo  —  The  Service  —  A  Ser 
mon  —  "  Visiting  the  Sepulchres"  —  Bad  Taste  —  Temporary  Shops  for  Re 
freshments  —  Good  Friday  —  Rattles  —  Last  of  Lent. 

Mexico,  April,  1848. 

MUCH  to  my  surprise,  a  Mexican  gentleman  called  on  me  not  long 
since,  inviting  me  to  take  up  my  residence  in  his  household.  As 
his  house  is  distant  from  my  hospital,  beyond,  but  near  the  palace, 
I  hesitated  to  accept  his  kind  offer,  but  his  urgency,  coupled  with 
my  own  desire  to  cultivate  acquaintance  among  the  citizens,  over 
ruled  all  objections,  and  I  am  now  comfortably  established  in  one 
of  the  most  elegant  mansions  in  this  city.  The  gentleman  has 
travelled  in  Europe  and  in  the  United  States  ;  the  lady  too,  which 
is  more  rare,  has  also  visited  the  continent.  The  house  is  an  elegant 
one,  richly  furnished,  combining  the  commodities  of  wealth  and  taste, 
and  preserving  eminently  the  neatness,  cleanliness,  and  order  that 
are  usually  found  here  in  the  habitations  of  the  wealthy.  The 
Mexican  gentry  are  cleanly  in  their  houses  and  in  their  habits  ;  they 
are  much  addicted  to  bathing,  holding  it,  properly,  advantageous,  if 
not  indispensable,  to  health.  The  family  in  this  case  consists  of 
Don  S  -  ,  a  gentleman  of  about  fi  ve-and-thirty,  his  lady,  la  senorita, 
some  five  years  younger,  and  two  or  three  little  children.  Don  S  - 
speaks  English,  and  the  lady  French,  which  she  sometimes  uses  to 
explain  a  word,  or  phrase  of  Spanish,  a  little  beyond  my  scholarship. 
She  has  a  cultivated  taste  in  the  fine  arts,  and  is  herself  not  unskil 
ful  in  the  use  of  the  pencil,  but  being  in  a  certain  condition  (em- 
barazada,  as  it  is  here  termed),  she  keeps  much  in  the  background, 
leaving  her  lord  and  myself  t£te-d-tete  many  times  when  her  society 
would  be  a  very  agreeable  relief.  Speaking  of  her  condition,  I  may 
say  here,  once  for  all,  that  custom  neither  requires  nor  admits  any 
mincing  of  terms  in  such  cases.  I  have  always  thought  a  refinement, 


184 

too  subtle  to  be  commendable,  pervades  society  at  home,  in  common 
conversation  between  gentlemen  and  ladies ;  such  is  not  the  case  in 
this  country ;  one  may  say  anything,  not  absolutely  indecent,  that 
comes  up  naturally  in  his  discourse.  It  would  alter  the  case,  no 
doubt,  for  a  man  to  be  trying  how  far  he  might  go. — You  would  like 
to  know,  probably,  the  style  of  living  of  a  genteel  family,  so  let  me 

introduce  you  for  a  moment  to  Mr. 's  daily  dinner  table.     I 

had  taken  breakfast,  supper,  and  dulces,  in  other  families  before 
coming  here,  but  dinner  was  something  new,  and  I  hoped  to  be 
allowed  to  have  some  two  articles  on  my  plate  at  once,  contrary  to 
the  custom  I  had  seen  everywhere  observed.  My  taste  was  to  a  cer 
tain  extent  gratified.  Now  for  the  dinner.  In  the  first  place  comes 
soup  (caldo),  say  plain  chicken  soup,  such  as  you  find  at  our  hotels 
where  French  cookery  is  adopted  \  then,  one  or  more  sopas  of  rice, 
fideos  (vermicelli),  or  bread,  in  a  semi-fluid  state }  then  El  JPuchero,* 
a  mixed  dish  of  homely  ingredients,  of  exceeding  popularity  among 
all  classes  of  Spaniards.  It  is  composed  of  bouilli,  bacon,  a  little 
cabbage,  bananas,  garbanzos  (chick-peas,  a  coarse  but  valuable 
vegetable),  and  other  variable  ingredients,  to  which  may  be  added 
a  little  tomato  sauce.  It  makes  a  good  standard  dish,  in  my  opinion, 
though  perhaps  I  am  unduly  partial,  as  it  allows  me  to  indulge  a 
vulgar  taste  for  bacon  and  greens,  to  say  nothing  of  the  other  staples, 
without  taking,  according  to  the  prevalent  fashion,  first  a  plate  of 
bacon,  and  then  another  of  greens.  El  Puchero  weathers  the  fashion. 
When  that  is  disposed  of,  meats  roasted,  stewed,  and  boiled,  and 
vegetables  have  their  turn  j  then  a  salad ;  then  a  course  of  fruits, 
and  lastly,  before  the  turn  on  the  Paseo  or  La  Viga,  a  round  of  dulces. 
Whenever  you  rest  a  moment  from  your  labours,  ah  attentive  servant 
whips  off  plate,  knife,  and  fork,  and  supplies  the  place  with  others. 
My  host  is  a  man  of  delicate  stamina,  eats  nothing  gross,  and  has  his 
meals  prepared  with  a  precision  that  men  in  high  health  would  con 
sider  over  nice.  The  old  world  contributes  to  his  well-supplied 
table ;  thus,  his  hams  come  from  Spain,  as  well  as  his  wines,  some 
of  the  choicest  of  which  are  sent  from  the  vineyard  of  a  relative  near 

*  The*  glazed  earthen  vessel  in  which  the  contents  are  served,  and  from 
which  they  take  the  name. 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  185 

Cadiz.  When  the  lady  retires,  and  sometimes  sooner,  Mr.  

brings  forth  his  puros*  from  Havana,  and  by  the  time  we  finish 
them,  a  servant  announces  that  my  horse  is  waiting  in  the  court  to 
take  me  to  the  hospital  before  going  to  the  Paseo,  and  as  I  mount, 

Mr.  's  fine  northern  horses  are  prancing  in  one  of  his  three 

coaches,  ready  to  whirl  his  family  to  the  gay  resort  of  fashion. 

I  am  about  as  indifferent  to  creature  comforts  as  any  other  man, 
though  always  enjoying  them  when  they  come  in  my  way;  what 
gratifies  me  most  in  my  new  position,  is  the  opportunity  afforded  of 
seeing  familiarly,  private  life  among  this  reserved  people,  for  I  take 
more  interest  in  the  manners  and  customs  of  a  people  than  in  the 
grave  accounts  of  the  bickerings  and  contentions  of  their  Solons  and 
Lycurguses. 

My  invitation  into  this  family  was  in  part  complimentary,  but 
burglary  and  other  crimes  are  so  rife  (involving  in  some  instances 
the  characters  of  certain  Americans,  who  should  be  above  suspicion), 
that  many  families  now  prefer  to  have  a  friendly  American  domes 
ticated  with  them,  feeling  it  to  be  something  of  a  protection.  The 
obligations  between  the  entertainer  and  the  entertained,  are  there 
fore  somewhat  mutual. 

This  city  enjoys  a  fine  market,^  so  that  you  may  see  on  the  table, 
every  day  in  the  year,  the  fruits  and  vegetables  of  temperate  and 
tropical  climates ;  the  former  the  product  of  the  tierras  Mas,  or  the 
table-land;  the  latter,  of  the  tierras  calientes,  or  low-lands  of  the 
coast.  Tropical  fruits  may  be  seen  growing  abundantly  in  this 
valley,  but  they  rarely  reach  perfection.  The  only  vegetable  that  I 
find  wanting,  that  we  use  in  the  United  States,  is  the  okra  (Hisbiscus 
esculentus)  ;  there  may  be  others,  but  if  so,  I  have  not  missed  them. 
The  vegetables  of  the  valley  are,  however,  very  inferior  to  ours,  of 
the  same  kind,  in  flavour ;  they  are  beautiful  to  the  eye,  but  com 
paratively  insipid.  This  may  be  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  are  so 
commonly  produced  in  beds  more  of  water  than  of  soil. 

*  Segars  entirely  of  tobacco,  so  called  to  distinguish  them  from  those  in 
common  use,  wrapped  in  paper,  or  corn-shuck. 

•j-  I  have  not  seen  the  Mexican  caviare  called  ahuanhtli,  a  famous  dish 
made  of  the  eggs  of  the  insect  called  axayacatl. 

16* 


186  EL  PUCHEEO,  OK 

I  must  give  you  a  sketch  of  Holy  Week,  which  has  just  expired, 
lasting  from  Palm  to  Easter  Sunday.  On  the  former  day,  "  Birnam 
Wood"  appeared  to  be  moving  through  the  city,  in  the  form  of  lofty 
palms,  cut  into  fanciful  figures,  and  dressed  with  bouquets  and  wreaths 
of  flowers.  About  the  Cathedral  stood  a  forest  of  these  palms.  On 

Wednesday  evening,  Mr. took  me  in  his  coach  to  visit  the 

Rev.  Dr.  R ,  a  canonigo  of  the  Cathedral,  who  was  to  officiate 

on  the  following  day  (Holy  Thursday),  and  to  request  him  to  pro 
cure  me,  as  a  stranger,  an  eligible  position  for  witnessing  the  cere 
monies.  The  canonigo  is  an  old  gentleman,  of  venerable  aspect  and 
pleasing  manners ;  he  has  the  reputation  of  being  a  learned  and 

good  man,  which  he  appears  to  deserve.     Mr. told  me  that  he 

is  the  padre  confesor  of  half  the  highbred  senoritas  of  the  city,  among 
whom  he  is  a  great  favourite.  On  the  following  morning,  notwith 
standing  the  press  of  his  duties,  he  was  kind  enough  to  get  me  a 
seat  in  the  choir,  from  which  I  had  a  full  view  of  the  proceedings. 
At  a  certain  stage  of  the  service,  the  Host  was  carried  in  procession 
through  the  aisles  of  the  church,  accompanied  by  a  large  train  of 
clergy  in  gorgeous  vestments,  and  distinguished  civil  officers,  wear 
ing  showy  insignia.  A  full  and  powerful  band  preceded  the  proces 
sion,  alternating  its  music  with  the  chanting  of  the  priests.  A 
sermon  was  preached  in  the  usual  earnest  and  emphatic  manner  of 
the  Mexican  preachers ;  it  is  heard  by  the  congregation  standing,  as 
there  are  no  pews  in  the  churches  of  Catholic  countries ;  but  from 
time  to  time,  the  assembled  thousands  fall  on  their  knees  to  make 
some  short  special  prayer,  as  recommended  by  the  preacher ;  when 
they  rise,  he  resumes  his  discourse.  After  service  at  the  Cathedral, 
I  made  a  tour  to  numerous  churches,  following  the  crowds,  "  Visit 
ing  the  Sepulchres."  At  every  church  was  a  representation  of  the 
Last  Supper,  either  on  canvass,  over  the  altar,  or  in  figures  of  the 
size  of  life,  seated  at  the  table  in  front  of  it.  All  the  churches  were 
ornamented  with  branches,  fruits,  flowers,  and  wax  figures.  Some 
of  the  churches  were  adorned  with  fantastic  ornaments,  in  violation 
of  the  principles  of  good  taste ;  others,  however,  offered  to  the  eye, 
not  only  nothing  offensive,  but  very  touching  emblems  of  that  period 
of  the  Redeemer's  suffering. 


A  MIXED  DISH  PROM  MEXICO.  187 

In  the  squares  and  streets,  fanciful  tents  and  booths,  almost  con 
cealed  by  flowers,  are  .erected  for  the  sale  of  aguas  frescas,  fruits  and 
other  refreshments  for  the  Easter  holidays. 

On  Good  Friday,  the  throngs  in  the  streets  and  churches  were 
immense ;  in  all  the  principal  thoroughfares,  the  people  were  jammed 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Not  a  carriage  is  allowed  to  make 
its  appearance,  and  all  the  fair  dames  and  their  lovely  ninas,  who 
rarely  put  their  fairy  feet  on  the  vulgar  pavements,  make  on  this 
day  an  humble  pilgrimage  on  foot  to  numerous  churches.  In  the 
latter  the  paintings  and  ornaments  are  all  veiled;  the  prominent 
figure  is  a  full  length  of  the  Saviour,  in  wax,  laid  out  for  interment. 
There  is  no  music,  and  for  one  day  all  the  bells  of  the  city  are 
hushed  in  silence.  In  the  churches,  matracas  (rattles)  designate 
the  stages  of  the  service;  and  without,  thousands  of  them,  as  toys, 
are  rattling  in  the  hands  of  all  the  children,  and  of  half  of  the  grown 
folks. 

On  Saturday,  the  bells  all  broke  forth  in  loud  and  musical  peals; 
the  coaches  and  other  vehicles  appeared  in  the  streets,  and  things 
returned  to  their  usual  course,  and  thus  ended  Lent,  with  its  real  and 
supposed  mortifications. 


LETTER    XLIII. 

Villages  about  the  City — Academia  de  los  Artes  Nobles,  and  Mineria — Arrival 
of  Commissioners — Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec — Peace  not  desirable  to  the 
Mexicans — Drowsy  Watchmen — Illustrations  of  Bad  Government — Es 
pionage — Annexation,  or  Protection  desired. 

Mexico,  April,  1848. 

DURING  this  month,  I  have  visited  most  of  the  neighbouring  vil 
lages,  which  at  this  season  are  highly  attractive.  On  one  occasion 
I  accompanied  Colonel  Riley,  of  2d  infantry,  a  gallant  veteran  and 
thorough  old  school  soldier,  a  worthy  son  of  the  Maryland  pilgrims, 
to  the  beautiful  village  of  Tacubaya.  Several  regiments  of  our 


188  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

troops  are  quartered  there,  occupying  the  charming  casas  de  campo 
of  wealthy  townspeople,  who,  for  the  present,  have  to  content 
themselves  in  their  city  quarters. 

The  gardens  and  grounds  attached  to  each  house  are  spacious, 
clean  and  tasty;  beautiful  gravel  walks,  overhung  by  fruit  and 
shade  trees,  are  adorned  at  their  intersections  with  arbours  and  foun 
tains,  while  borders  of  flowers  hide  the  less  showy  but  more  useful 
growths  of  the  kitchen-garden.  Tacubaya  is  on  a  swell  of  ground 
considerably  above  the  adjoining  plains  and  the  level  of  the  city;  it 
is  high  and  dry,  and  therefore  much  more  healthy  than  the  latter, 
as  the  experience  of  the  troops  now  stationed  there  proves. 

There  are  two  objects  of  attraction  in  tfhe  city  to  which  I  have 
not  yet  paid  my  respects,  viz.:  the  Academy  of  Arts,  and  the  Mine- 
ria,  or  school  of  mines.  The  former  I  am  told  is  quite  decayed, 
though  once  so  highly  esteemed  and  patronised;  the  latter,  a  mag 
nificent  building,  is  occupied,  or  has  been,  I  should  say,  by  the 
gallant  regiment  of  voltigeurs.  It  is  a  school  of  mathematics,  mine 
ralogy,  and  I  believe,  of  natural  philosophy  generally,  but  though 
in  operation,  it  is  not  considered  flourishing. 

The  two  commissioners  from  the  United  States,  Hon.  Messrs. 
Clifford  and  Sevier,  reached  here  lately  within  a  few  days  of  each 
other  on  their  mission  of  peace.  They  were  received  with  the  high 
est  military  honours  by  the  army;  and  we  trust  an  enlightened 
spirit  of  compromise  will  make  their  duties  light,  and  enable  us  to 
return  at  an  early  day  to  our  homes. 

I  have  been  amusing  myself  for  the  last  few  days  translating  an 
account  of  a  survey  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  by  Mr.  Mora, 
an  eminent  Italian  engineer.  The  survey  was  made  at  the  expense 
of  Mr.  Glaray,  who  had  made  some  arrangement  with  the  govern 
ment  of  Mexico  for  the  rights  and  privileges  of  a  canal  for  ships 
connecting  the  two  oceans.  Mr.  Mora  estimates  the  whole  expense 
of  the  canal  at  not  less  than  twelve,  nor  more  than  seventeen  millions 
of  dollars.  He  draws  a  comparison  between  that  line  and  others 
proposed  (Nicaragua  and  Panama),  and  by  his  showing,  which  is 
apparently  very  fair,  the  advantages  offered  by  the  Tehuantepec  line 
are  quite  decided.  The  paper  is  an  interesting  one,  accompanied  by 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  189 

geological  maps.     It  has  been  published,  I  am  told,  in  English,  but 
there  are  no  copies  to  be  had  here.    I  sent  my  condensed  translation 

to  our  friend  D ,  of  Baltimore. 

The  better  classes  of  this  city  are  by  no  means  very  desirous  of 
peace,  and  with  reason.  They  dread  the  day  of  the  evacuation  by 
the  American  troops  ;  they  expect  the  worst,  without  knowing  what 
it  may  be,  some  even  apprehending  the  horrors  now  enacting  in 
Yucatan.  They  would  gladly  pay  the  expenses  of  our  army  to  keep 
it  among  them.  They  have  no  respect  for  their  own  government, 
declaring  they  only  know  it  by  its  extortions,  and  not  by  any  pro 
tection  it  gives  them.  The  rulers  are  but  too  commonly  unprin 
cipled  adventurers,  pushing  their  own  fortunes  at  the  expense  of 
the  honour  and  welfare  of  the  nation.  Many  of  the  best  citizens 
decline  all  connexion  with  the  government,  rather  than  sanction 
evils  they  could  not  control.  Demagogues  fill  the  high  places,  and 
fatten  on  the  suffering  state.  To  drive  them  off  is  to  invite  another 
swarm,  yet  more  hungry.  "We  all  know  and  feel  this,"  said  an 
intelligent  gentleman  to  me,  "and  we  devise  remedies  simple 
enough  in  design,  but  difficult  of  execution.  Like  the  rats  who 
agreed  unanimously  to  protect  themselves  from  the  stealthy  in 
cursions  of  puss  by  putting  a  bell  around  her  neck,  the  plans 
are  unexceptionable,  but  gquien  va  poner  el  cascabel  al  gato? — 
who  is  going  to  put  the  bell  on  the  cat's  neck  V  There  is 
the  difficulty.  The  army  belongs  to  the  government  or  the 
factions  in  power ;  the  people  can  do  nothing  but  bear  the  fleece 
for  the  shearers.  Thus,  industry  is  paralysed,  and  honest  labour 
contemned;  for  who  will  go  to  the  pains  to  accumulate  to  be 
marked  for  plunder  by  professional  robbers,  or  robbers  by  virtue 
of  their  government  commissions?  Misrule  enjoys  a  perennial 
ascendency,  with  rare  exceptions,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest 
functionaries.  Walk  in  the  streets  at  night,  and  you  will  find  half 
the  watch  asleep,  their  lanterns,  which  they  always  carry,  burning 
away  beside  them.  And  they  are  perfectly  justifiable.  When  some 
of  them  were  questioned  lately  on  their  remissness  in  their  duties 
by  an  American  editor  of  the  city,  they  replied  that  they  never  re 
ceived  their  pay  proper,  and  rarely,  indeed,  paltry  fractions  of  it; 


190  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

not  enough  to  keep  their  wives  and  children  from  starving,  begging, 
or  stealing.  It  is  actually  to  their  interest  to  wink  at  crime,  for 
while  they  receive  no  compensation  for  doing  their  duty,  they  are 
certain  of  punishment,  perhaps  assassination,  if  they  venture  to 
take  an  active  part  against  the  ladrones.  The  most  respectable 
citizens  are  influenced  by  the  same  feelings.  An  individual  would 
avert  his  face  from  robbery  or  murder  rather  than  give  information, 
for  the  following  reasons,  which  I  give  literally,  as  has  been  stated 
to  me.  A  disinterested  person  sees  an  assassin,  or  assassins,  fall 
upon  a  wayfarer,  murder,  and  rob  him.  He  gives  information, 
when  the  accused  parties,  if  caught,  are  committed  for  trial.  This 
comes  on,  the  informant  is  dragged  before  court  after  court,  bad 
gered  by  the  lawyers,  frowned  at  by  scowling  faces,  friends  of  the 
accused,  and  when  he  has  given  evidence  and  truth  to  the  best  of 
his  ability,  some  flaw  in  the  indictment,  or  negligence,  or  bribery, 
saves  from  the  garote  the  accused,  who,  perhaps,  after  a  trifling  im 
prisonment,  are  turned  loose  again  upon  society  to  pursue  their  evil 
courses.  The  informant  is  probably  the  first  victim. 

By  a  singular  perversion  of  law,  it  is  almost  impossible  for  a 
landlord  to  eject  a  bad  tenant  from  his  premises,  provided  the  tenant 
have  a  quantum  of  influence.  One  case  has  come  to  my  knowledge, 
where  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  occupies  a  fine  house  for  which 
he  has  paid  no  rent  for  years,  yet  he  holds  possession  in  spite  of 
the  owner.  In  another  case  a  landed  proprietor  let  his  hacienda, 
which,  under  an  administrador,  or  overseer,  brought  him  an  annual 
income  of  fourteen  thousand  dollars.  The  tenant  now  in  possession 
has  influence  enough  to  keep  it  without  paying  rent,  nor  can  the 
owner  eject  him  without  ruinous  costs. 

Other  illustrations  of  misrule  may  be  taken  from  the  conduct  of 
the  army.  A  regiment  of  cavalry  on  the  march,  may  quarter  on  an 
estate,  supply  themselves  with  provender  for  man  and  horse,  press 
the  owner's  mules  and  horses,  according  to  their  necessities,  paying 
sometimes  nothing,  or  at  best  government  bonds,  which  are  but  little 
better. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  espionage,  under  which  society  is  ever 
trembling.  I  give  a  special  instance.  Two  American  officers  are 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  191 

quartered  in  the  house  of  a  respectable  family.  Their  gentlemanly 
demeanour  recommended  them  to  the  residents,  who  extended  to 
them  considerable  civility,  inviting  their  visits,  &c.  The  officers 
were  much  gratified,  and  took  occasion  to  introduce  some  of  their 
friends  to  the  family.  This  was  spoken  of  among  some  Mexicans, 
when  one  of  their  officers  present,  inquired  particularly  what  family 
was  thus  intimate  with  Americans.  When  told,  he  made  a  record 
of  the  fact  in  his  memorandum-book,  intimating  that  he  would  one 
day  bring  vengeance  on  the  household.  And  this  probably  was 
some  coward  knave,  who,  unable  to  protect,  was  just  brave  enough 
to  persecute  his  peaceful  fellow-citizens. 

Many  good,  nay,  the  best  citizens,  desire  annexation,  or  con 
nexion  with  our  government,  on  any  terms.  They  declare  they  see 
no  prospect,  near  or  remote,  of  peace,  law,  and  order,  under  their 
own  rulers.  The  instances  I  have  given  in  this  letter  of  bad  laws, 
and  the  worse  administration  of  them,  are  precisely  as  I  have  them 
from  the  most  reliable  sources  among  this  unhappy  people. 


LETTER   XLIV. 

Marching  Orders — A  Diligence  attacked — Man  killed — Garrisons  on  the 
Way— Old  Obstructions— Pyramid  of  Cholula— The  March— Specie  Trains 
for  the  Coast ;  Merchandise  for  the  Interior— Jalapa— The  Starry  Moun 
tain — Graves  at  the  National  Bridge — The  Mud-hole  flourishing — Vera 
Cruz — Alvarado — A  Child's  Funeral — A  new  War. 

Alvarado,  Mexico,  May,  1848. 

MY  fair  prospects  of  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  "Life  in 
Mexico,"  were  suddenly  demolished,  like  an  airy  castle,  by  an 
urgent  order  for  the  Marine  battalion  to  escort  a  specie  train  to  the 
port  of  Vera  Cruz.  I  was  not  allowed  time  even  to  leave  a  farewell 
card  with  the  various  families  who  had  offered  me  friendly  atten 
tions  for  the  time  I  enjoyed  their  acquaintance  j  for  there  were  few 


192 

Americans,  as  a  Spaniard  said  to  me,  so  well  relacionado  in  the  city 
as  myself.  Although  the  circumstances  were  most  unfavourable,  I 
had  cultivated  society  with  some  success ;  and  was  called  away  just 
at  the  time  when  my  acquaintance  "  behind  the  scenes"  was  be 
coming  most  agreeable  and  familiar.  To  go  to  the  coast  was,  with 
us,  very  different  from  going  home,  as  we  were  only  to  assume  new 
relations ;  and  unwelcome  whisperings  hinted  at  a  tour  of  duty  on  a 
projected  survey,  in  a  tropical  region,  under  a  summer's  sun, 
between  the  two  great  oceans.  On  the  28th  of  April,  we  received 
our  orders ;  on  the  night  of  the  29th  we  were,  in  camp  and  quarters, 
at  the  village  of  Ayotla,  seven  leagues  from  the  renowned  city. 
We  came  over  a  fine  natural  road,  flanked  by  ditches,  through  an 
open,  arid,  desert  country,  formerly  the  bed  of  a  lake,  now  perfectly 
dry,  except  for  occasional  saline  marshes.  We  passed  quietly  by 
the  great  Pehon  del  Marques,  out  of  respect  to  which  we  had  made 
so  circuitous  a  route  to  the  capital.  At  Ayotla,  when  the  diligence 
came  in,  I  was  called  on  to  dress  the  wounds  of  a  passenger,  inflicted 
by  robbers.  An  American  rifleman  (whose  body  we  found  the  next 
day)  had  been  killed  by  his  side.  The  diligence  is  attacked  every 
day,  whether  in  time  of  peace  or  war.  Numerous  wayside  crosses 
indicate  to  the  traveller  where  foul  murder  has  left  its  victims; 
speaking  with  silent  eloquence  of  the  depravity  and  weakness,  the 
sorrow  and  shame  of  Mexico.  At  Rio  Frio  we  found  a  garrison  of 
Ohio  volunteers.  We  met  a  party  of  them  on  the  road,  in  search  of 
the  robbers  of  the  day  before.  Strange  to  say,  we  met  a  gang  of 
the  latter  tribe,  escorting  a  merchant  with  his  train  to  Mexico  :  they 
are  more  reliable  when  under  pay,  than  Mexican  regulars.  Through 
all  the  mountain  passes,  we  found  heavy  pines  cut  down,  and  turned 
from  the  road,  though  they  had  lain  on  it.  They  were  cut  after 
the  army  passed  up,  to  prevent  retreat;  after  our  defeat  near  the 
city,  when  the  scattered  remains  were  to  be  hastening  back  pell-mell 
to  the  coast,  they  were  to  be  annihilated,  as  arrested  by  these  ob 
structions.  The  intention  was  good,  no  doubt,  not  to  leave  aone 
man  to  tell  the  story/'  As.  we  approached  Puebla,  we  found  the 
wheat  harvest  half  accomplished.  The  crops  appeared  very  abundant. 
About  ten  miles  beyond  the  city,  the  great  pyramid  of  Cholula,  a  re- 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  193 

markable  monument  of  the  Toltecs,  is  distinctly  seen.  It  was  mea 
sured  by  Humboldt,  who  says  a  it  has  a  much  larger  base  than  any 
edifice  of  the  kind  in  the  old  continent,  its  horizontal  breadth  being 
not  less  than  1440  feet;  but  its  present  height  is  only  fifty-nine 
yards,  while  the  platform  on  its  summit  has  a  surface  of  45,210 
feet."  It  is  built  of  sun-dried  bricks,  alternating  with  clay.  A 
small  chapel  now  surmounts  its  summit. 

We  passed  one  night  in  quarters  in  the  clean  and  beautiful  Puebla, 
and  there,  I  may  remark,  was  the  only  place  where  any  attempt 
was  made  to  do  me  wanton  personal  injury.  Walking  with  two 
officers  across  a  bridge,  a  large  stone  passed  by  our  heads,  thrown 
with  such  force  as  to  be  crushed  against  the  parapet.  We  looked 
in  vain  for  the  assailant.  We  encamped  for  the  two  successive 
nights  at  Final  and  Ojo  del  Agua,  passing  through  Nopaluca,  a 
Small  village,  garrisoned  by  Indiana  volunteers.  The  next  night  found 
us  in  quarters  in  the  gloomy  town  of  Perote.  I  paid  another  visit 
to  the  great  castle  of  San  Carlos,  which,  though  among  the  strongest 
on  the  continent,  fell  without  striking  a  blow.  We  had  close  at 
hand  again,  the  famous  Cofre,  likened  by  Humboldt  to  an  ancient 
sarcophagus,  surmounted  by  a  pyramid. 

Before  reaching  the  pass  of  La  Hoya,  we  were  warned  to  expect 
a  brush  for  our  specie  train;  that  a  body  of  guerrilleros,  stronger  by 
half  than  our  battalion,  was  lying  in  wait  for  us.  This  seemed  pro 
bable  enough — we  had  two  and  a  half  millions  of  specie,  under  a 
very  small  escort.  It  was  hurried  off  from  the  city,  as  many  other 
similar  trains  had  been,  to  avoid  the  heavy  export  duty  under  the 
Mexican  laws.  We  prepared  for  an  encounter,  but  met,  at  the 

pass,  some  troops  of  the  6th  and  8th  Infantry,  under  Captain  S , 

of  the  latter,  returning  from  the  execution  of  similar  duty  to  our 
own.  Whether  we  had  been  deceived,  or  the  guerrilleros  thought 
the  two  parties  too  strong  for  them,  I  cannot  say — certain  it  is,  we 
passed  without  obstruction. 

We  met  almost  uninterrupted  merchant  trains  passing  up  to  the 
city,  laden  with  merchandise ;  pack-mules  by  thousands,  and  great 
lumbering  wagons,  drawn  in  some  cases  by  nine  pairs  of  mules. 

17 


194  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

These  great  supplies  are  also  intended  to  evade  the  duties,  levied  on 
goods  going  inward. 

We  rested  one  day  near  the  most  picturesque  town  of  Jalapa, 
which  I  visited  twice.  Around  it,  are  many  tasty  country-seats, 
such  as  you  see  on  Long  Island ;  the  town  is  a  great  place  of  resort 
for  wealthy  merchants  from  Vera  Cruz,  who  repair  to  it  during  the 
season  of  vomito.  It  is  garrisoned  by  volunteers  from  Maryland 
and  District  of  Columbia ;  at  present,  large  general  hospitals  are 
established  here  for  the  army,  in  anticipation  of  a  general  evacua 
tion  of  the  country.  The  peak  of  Orizaba  looms  up  from  this  point 
of  view,  like  a  great  silvery  liberty  cap  suspended  in  the  air.  It 
was  well  termed  among  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  Citlaltepetl,  or 
the  starry  mountain.  It  took  this  name  from  the  luminous  exhala 
tions  that  formerly  played  over  its  snow-crowned  summit.  In  times 
of  peace  the  inhabitants  of  Jalapa  are  distinguished  for  politeness 
and  sociability. 

Our  next  night  was  passed  at  the  base  of  Cerro  Gordo,  on  the 
Plan  del  Rio,  where  Pierce' s  brigade  was  detained  all  of  one  day, 
going  inward,  to  make  a  road  down  the  steep  bank  of  the  river,  be 
cause  the  Mexicans  had,  by  great  exertion  and  some  loss  of  life,  de 
stroyed  a  noble  bridge  to  arrest  American  progress.  At  the  National 
Bridge  we  found  a  garrison  of  Tennesseeans.  The  influence  of  the 
tierras  calientes  began  to  creep  over  us — the  place  was  very  sickly, 
and  numerous  low  sand  mounds,  in  each  of  which  reposed  half  a 
score  of  silent  tenants,  whispered  to  us  a  mournful  story.  Another 
night  found  us  at  San  Juan,  the  mud-hole  of  the  inward  march. 
We  found  there  also  a  garrison  of  Tennesseeans,  and  shops  with  re 
freshments  ;  the  place  that  we  once  found  so  solitary  and  dismal, 
looked  now  almost  like  a  thriving  Yankee  village.  An  early  march 
the  following  morning  brought  us  to  our  old  camp  at  Yergara, 
on  the  sea-beach.  Yera  Cruz  looked  as  lively  as  ever,  and  much 
cleaner.  We  spent  a  few  days  on  the  beach,  and  then  steamed  it  to 
this  place,  the  hottest  and  dullest  in  Mexico.  The  first  thing  I  saw 
was  the  funeral  of  a  child ; — -it  was  laid  on  a  board,  dressed  in  its 
best  clothes  and  enveloped  in  flowers.  A  man  was  carrying  it  on 
his  head  with  the  same  nonchalance  as  if  it  were  a  plaster  cast ;  no 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  195 

train  of  mourners  followed ;  but,  after  some  time,  I  observed  an  af 
flicted-looking  family  slowly  proceeding  towards  the  cemetery. 

Our  battalion,  brought  here  under  command  of  Major  D ,  is 

associated  with  a  larger  one  of  the  same  corps  under  Major  H . 

Time  is  to  develope  our  destination ;  meantime  we  are  to  swelter 
here  until  otherwise  disposed  of.  We  are  already  plunged  in  war 
with  mosquitoes  and  sand-flies,  and  expect  soon  to  be  attacked  by 
their  ally  the  uomito.  That  has  not  yet  visited  Alvarado,  however, 
for  this  season,  and  the  inhabitants  declare  the  place  is  very  healthy. 


LETTER   XLV. 

Complimentary  Style  of  Mexican  Epistles — Works  on  Mexico — Extracts — 
Variety  of  Products  of  Mexico — Manufactures — The  Banana  and  Manioc 
(Tapioca) — Finale. 

R  S.  M. 

Su  Casa  de  Usted,  May,  1849. 
Mid  Senor  Mio, 

I  send  you  my  last  with  a  genuine  Mexican  heading,  avoiding  a' 
blunder  I  once  made  with  a  gentleman  of  the  city,  by  addressing 
him  as  Senor,  Sir,  which,  it  seems,  is  only  admissible  in  an  address 
*o  the  king,  or  the  King  of  kings.  The  B.  S.  M.  informs  you  that 
I  kiss  your  hands ;  the  su  casa  de  usted,  that  my  house  is  yours. 
Our  plain  English  admits  of  some  romancing  of  the  same  kind  in 
signing  one's  self  your  obedient  humble  servant,  from  which  it  will 
not  be  inferred  that  the  writer  means  to  be  considered  literally  what 
he  styles  himself.  I  have  hastily  rewritten  for  you  my  old  letters, 
such  as  they  are,  with  their  original  defects,  little  corrected.  No 
importa,  what  cannot  be  learned  from  them,  may  be  from  the  works 
of  Baron  Humboldt,  Mr.  Prescott,  and  Madame  Calderon  de  la 
Barca,  who  have  covered  the  whole  ground  of  Mexican  geography, 


196  EL  PUCHERO,  OR 

and  natural  science,  history,  and  society,  as  it  exists,  or  did  exist, 
a  few  years  ago.  Besides  these,  the  highly  interesting  books  of  Mr. 
Waddy  Thompson,  Mr.  Brantz  Mayer,  and  other  American  and 
English  travellers,  would  have  left  me  little  to  say  but  for  the 
changes  resulting  from  invasion.  The  humble  Puchero  is  offered  to 
the  world  with  perhaps  a  few  new  ingredients,  or  at  all  events,  with 
some  old  ones  served  in  a  new  style.  Those  who  relish  the  fare 
may  partake  of  it;  those  who  do  not,  may  readily  find  some 
thing  better.  A  few  rashers  served  up  in  extracts,  will  complete 
my  poor  dish,  which  you  are  kind  enough  to  say  is  not  altogether 
without  a  relish  of  its  own.  The  extracts  agree  with  my  own  ob 
servations,  or  are  particularly  worthy  of  note,  from  the  information 
they  convey. 

Subjoined,  finally,  is  a  list  of  all  officers,  now  or  then  in  the  ser 
vice,  who  were  engaged  in  the  battles  of  the  valley,  with  a  special 
note  attached  to  the  names  of  the  killed  and  wounded.  The  brevets 
conferred  on  all  officers  engaged  therein  are  also  added.  The  list 
is  quite  authentic,  being  taken  from  that  prepared  by  General 
Scott's  order  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  shortly  after  the  battles. 

To  give  some  idea  of  the  general  capacity  and  products  of  Mexico, 
I  draw  from  the  deep  fountain  of  the  immortal  German  traveller, 
the  Baron  de  Humboldt.  After  speaking  of  the  well-known  divi 
sions  of  the  country,  according  to  elevation,  the  Tierras  Calientes, 
of  a  mean  annual  temperature  of  78°  F. ;  the  Tierras  Templadas, 
of  a  mean  annual  temperature  of  68°  F. ;  and  of  the  Tierras  Frias, 
averaging  below  62°  F.,  all  in  the  same  latitude,  he  says,  "  The 
physical  condition  of  that  kingdom  (the  present  republic)  confers 
inestimable  advantages  upon  it  in  a  commercial  point  of  view. 
Under  careful  cultivation,  it  is  capable  of  producing  all  that  com 
merce  brings  together  from  every  part  of  the  globe ;  sugar,  cochi 
neal,  cacao,  cotton,  coffee,  wheat,  hemp,  flax,  silk,  oil,  and  wine. 
It  furnishes  every  metal,  not  even  excepting  mercury,  and  is  sup 
plied  with  the  finest  timber ;  but  the  coasts  oppose  obstacles,"  &c. 

"The  western  part  (of  the  State  of  Yera  Cruz)  forms  the  decli 
vity  of  the  Cordilleras  of  Anahuac,  from  whence,  amid  the  regions 
of  perpetual  snow,  the  inhabitants  descend  in  a  day  to  the  burning 


A  MIXED  DISH  FROM  MEXICO.  197 

plains  of  the  coast.  In  this  district  are  displayed  in  a  remarkable 
manner  the  gradations  of  vegetation,  from  the  level  of  the  sea  to 
those  elevated  summits  which  are  visited  with  perennial  frost;  In 
ascending,  the  traveller  sees  the  physiognomy  of  the  country,  the 
aspect  of  the  sky,  the  form  of  the  plants,  the  figures  of  animals, 
the  manners  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the  kind  of  cultivation  fol 
lowed  by  them,  assuming  a  different  appearance  at  every  step. 
Leaving  the  lower  districts,  covered  with  a  beautiful  and  luxuriant 
vegetation,  he  first  enters  that  into  which  the  oak  appears,  where 
he  has  no  longer  cause  to  dread  the  yellow  fever,  so  fatal  on  the 
coasts.  Forests  of  liquidambar,  near  Jalapa,  announce  by  their 
freshness,  the  elevation  at  which  the  strata  of  clouds,  suspended 
over  the  ocean,  come  in  contact  with  the  basaltic  summits  of  the 
Cordilleras.  A  little  higher  the  banana  ceases  to  yield  fruit.  At 
the  height  of  San  Miguel,  pines  begin  to  mingle  with  the  oaks, 
which  continue  as  far  as  the  plains  of  Perote,  where  the  cereal 
vegetation  of  Europe  is  seen.  Beyond  this,  the  former  alone  cover 
the  rocks,  the  tops  of  which  enter  the  region  of  perpetual  frigidity." 

-Under  the  head  of  agriculture,  this  author  says :  "  The  banana, 
manioc,  maize,  wheat,  and  potatoes,  constitute  the  principal  food  of 
the  people.  The  maguey,  or  agave,  may  be  considered  the  Indian 
vine.  Sugar,  cotton,  vanilla,  cocoa,  wax,  and  cochineal,  are  plenti 
fully  produced."  =  «.^-  > 

Under  the  head  of  manufactories,  "  Cotton  and  woollen  cloths, 
cigars,  soda,  soap,  gunpowder,  and  leather,  are  the  principal  articles 
manufactured."  Since  that  day,  paper-mills,  breweries,  &c.,  have 
been  established  by  foreign  enterprise.  • 

He  says  of  the  banana,  that  it  is  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  torrid 
zone,  what  the  cereal  grasses,  wheat,  barley,  and  rye,  are  to  Western 
Asia  and  Europe ;  and  that  probably  there  is  no  other  plant  on  the 
globe  capable  of  producing  so  much  nutriment  on  as  small  a  space 
of  ground.  He  estimates  the  produce  of  the  banana  to  that  of 
wheat  as  133  to  1,  and  to  that  of  potatoes  as  44  to  1.  "It  is  cal 
culated  that  the  same  extent  of  ground  in  Mexico  on  which  the 
banana  is  raised,  is  capable  of  maintaining  fifty  individuals,  whereas 

17* 


198  EL  PUCHERO. 

in  Europe,  under  wheat,  it  would  not  furnish  subsistence  for  two." 
(Humboldt's  Travels,  &c.,  by  M'Gillavray.) 

The  manioc,  or  fecula  of  the  Jatropha,  is  converted  into  a 
bread  known  as  Pan  de  tierra  caliente.  It  is  very  nutritious ;  and 
although  the  original  product  of  the  bitter  Jatropha  contains  a 
highly  poisonous  juice  (prussic,  or  hydrocyanic  acid),  the  latter  is 
evaporated  in  drying,  which  leaves  the  cassava,  or  flour,  sweet  and 
wholesome. 

With  the  other  vegetable  products  you  are  perfectly  familiar ;  I 
will  not  therefore  dwell  on  them. 

My  task  is  ended.  I  bid  a  long  adieu  to  Mexico.  Although  I 
have  suffered  many  hardships  on  her  soil,  I  have  nothing  to  look 
back  to  with  any  feelings  of  disaffection.  In  my  intercourse  with 
the  people  I  have  experienced  a  great  deal  of  kindness,  and  I  have 
found  among  them,  wherever  it  could  be  properly  expected,  much 
refinement  and  intelligence.  They  have  their  faults,  "  as  which  of 
us  has  not  ?"  yet  I  must  add,  that  their  vices  are  best  known  to  me 
by  hearsay. 

Our  days  at  Alvarado,  " though  evil,  were  few;"  and  we  soon  had 
the  happiness  to  relinquish  the  fandangos  and  fevers  that  were 
spreading  among  us,  of  that  pestilential  region,  for  our  own  favoured 
land,  to  enjoy  for  a  season  its  peace  and  prosperity,  amid  the  smiles 
and  endearments  of  happy  homes. 


APPENDIX. 


A  P  P  END  I  X. 


THE  SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ. 

THE  battles  fought  by  our  gallant  army  under  General  Seott  in 
Mexico,  from  the  capture  of  Vera  Cruz  and  the  strong  castle  which 
defended  it,  to  the  capture  of  the  capital  city,  present  almost  every 
variety  of  military  conflict.  The  campaign  began  by  a  successful 
descent  upon  an  exposed  coast,  by  an  army  of  all  arms,  in  boats, 
followed  by  the  regular  investment  of  a  fortified  city,  protected  by 
one  of  the  strongest  military  fortresses  in  the  world,  both  of  which 
were  taken  chiefly  through  the  agency  of  the  heavy  artillery,  and 
skilful  bombardment  from  the  batteries  on  shore,  and  the  ships  at 
the  anchorage.  Cerro  Gordo  followed,  where  the  scene  of  action 
was  among  the  mountains,  ravines,  and  gorges  of  that  strong  pass ; 
and  the  leading  characteristic  of  that  well-stricken  field,  was  the 
bold  and  successful  storm  of  an  almost  inaccessible  height,  crowned 
with  cannon  and  bristling  with  musketry.  Contreras  was  fought 
and  won,  without  cavalry  or  artillery ;  but,  before  the  capital  city 
was  entered,  cavalry,  artillery,  and  infantry,  all  had  their  appro 
priate  work  to  do,  and  all  did  it  manfully  and  successfully.  Whether 
breasting  the  northers  on  the  sea-coast,  scaling  the  hills  at  Cerro 
Gordo,  wading  through  the  swamps  around  the -lake,  or  fighting 
inch  by  inch,  along  the  exposed  causeway,  there  seemed  to  be  the 
same  unconquerable  spirit  in  the  hearts  of  these  gallant  soldiers, 
and  the  same  military  genius  and  experience  to  direct  them  in  their 
arduous  duties. 


202  APPENDIX. 

But  we  question  if  the  veteran  officer  whose  high  merit  it  is  to 
have  directed  every  battle  of  this  memorable  campaign,  gave  in  any 
one  of  these  battles  higher  proof  of  skill  and  true  military  merit, 
than  in  the  first  blow,  struck  at  Vera  Cruz.  It  is  a  vulgar  saying, 
that  "the  first  blow  is  half  the  battle/'  There  is  some  truth  in  the 
saying,  applicable  as  well  to  the  great,  complex,  important  move 
ments  of  large  masses  of  men,  involving  the  multifarious  considera 
tions  of  feeding  and  clothing,  arming  and  protecting,  as  well  as 
fighting  them,  as  it  is  to  a  fisticuff  fight  on  a  court-green.  If  you 
don't  give  the  first  blow,  and  plant  it  well,  you  may  receive  it  your 
self;  if  you  don't  stun  your  adversary,  and  daunt  him  by  the  vigour 
of  your  onset,  you  may  never  retrieve  your  ill-fortune.  It  was  es 
pecially  and  imperatively  necessary  at  Vera  Cruz. 

"The  fortress  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa,"  says  Waddy  Thompson, 
Esq.,  in  his  clever  recollections  of  Mexico,  "has  always  been  looked 
upon  as  one  of  the  strongest  in  the  world.  With  a  proper  armament 
and  competent  engineers,  I  should  regard  it  as  almost  impregnable, 
if  indeed  that  term  can  now  with  truth  be  applied  to  any  place,  after 
the  recent  inventions  and  improvements  in  this  department  of  mili 
tary  science.  When  it  was  blown  up  in  1839,  by  the  French,  the 
armament  was  in  a  most  wretched  condition ;  and  as  to  scientific 
engineers  and  artillerists,  there  were  none.  Even  then  it  would  not 
have  been  so  much  of  a  holiday  affair,  had  it  not  been  for  the  acci 
dental  explosion  of  the  magazine.  Any  future  assailant  must  not 
expect  so  easy  a  victory,  if  it  is  tolerably  defended." 

Mr.  Thompson  may  have  added  that,  according  to  all  accounts 
which  we  had  when  the  whole  country  "  held  its  breath  for  a  time," 
awaiting  the  result  of  Scott's  attack,  this  very  defect  in  the  arrange 
ments  of  the  fort,  which  was  said  to  have  caused  the  accident,  was 
provided  against  by  magazines  absolutely  fire-proof,  by  which  the 
ammunition  of  the  fortress  was  secured  in  dry  reservoirs,  perfectly 
covered  over;  and,  besides,  that  water-batteries  had  been  constructed, 
stretching  around  upon  the  shoals,  so  as  to  command  every  approach, 
and  all  other  needful  additions  to  the  defences,  as  well  as  a  thorough 
repair,  had  been  'made ;  so  that  it  was  termed  the  "  Gibraltar  of 
America."  It  was  the  great  defence  of  their  seaport, — a  fortified 


THE  SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  203 

gate,  commanding  the  entrance  to  the  country  and  the  great  national 
road,  leading  to  the  capital  city.  It  was  the  armed  sentinel,  guard 
ing  the  only  important  place  of  assault  upon  the  coast  of  Mexico. 
Besides  this,  the  Mexicans  well  knew,  and  calculated  upon  what  Mr. 
Thompson  calls  a  more  effectual  protection  than  all  these  fortifica 
tions, — athe  northers  and  the  vomito" — the  first  a  tremendous 
north  ^o^nd,  which  blows  like  a  tornado,  without  warning  or  regu 
larity,  driving  before  it  the  loose  and  shifting  soil  of  the  coast, 

"Like  clouds  of  sand, 
That  far  in  Afric's  desert  land, 
Obey  the  Siroc's  force," 

rendering  the  anchorage  of  the  open  bay  or  roadstead  of  Yera  Cruz 
(for  it  cannot  be  called  a  harbour)  unsafe  to  every  vessel,  from  a 
canoe  to  a  ship  of  war ; — the  second,  the  yeUow  fever,  having  its 
home  in  Vera  Cruz,  more  to  be  dreaded  in  the  warm  months  than 
the  missile  "that  flieth  by  day,"  for  it  is  the  dreaded  pestilence  that 
"walketh  in  darkness,"  as  well  as  "the  destruction  that  wasteth  at 
noonday."  Against  both  of  these  General  Scott  had  to  guard.  His 
knowledge  that  the  northers  prevailed  most  in  the  winter  and  early 
spring,  made  it  imperative  upon  him  to  encounter  these,  that  he 
might  complete  his  undertaking  against  the  city  and  castle,  and 
march  into  the  interior,  before  the  period  for  the  yellow  fever.  This 
necessity  alone  added  greatly  to  his  labours,  and  perilled  his  enter 
prise.  Not  being  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  expedition — (in 
fact,  the  same  not  having  been  decided  on  by  the  government) — 
before  November,  1846,  he  was  forced  to  hurry  his  preparations, 
withdraw  troops  from  General  Taylor's  command,  pass  the  winter 
months  on  the  northern  coast  of  Mexico,  in  incessant  labours  to 
organize  his  invading  force,  and  at  last  make  the  attack  at  least  a 
month  later  than  he  had  intended. 

It  was  on  the  9th  of  March,  that  the  landing  of  his  troops  was 
effected.  Before  twenty  days,  the  city  and  the  strong  castle  were 
garrisoned  by  American  troops,  under  the  flag  of  their  country, 
which  floated  from  the  walls  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  battlements  of 
the  Castle.  For  several  days  and '  nights,  the  investing  batteries  of 


204  APPENDIX. 

cannon  and  mortars  sent  a  storm  of  balls  and  bombs  upon  the  de 
voted  city,  and  its  massy,  protecting  Castle ;  even  at  times,  as  many 
as  180  discharges  in  the  hour,  from  the  shore ;  while  400  cannon 
mounted  on  the  enemy's  defences,  returned  the  fire.  From  the 
ships  of  our  gallant  squadron  (at  first,  under  Captain  Conner,  who 
was  relieved  by  Commodore  Perry  early  in  the  siege),  the  same  ser 
vice  was  manfully  performed  by  our  sailors  and  marines ;  and  yet, 
when  the  storm  of  battle  ceased,  and  5000  prisoners,  400  pieces  of 
ordnance,  5000  stand  of  arms,  and  the  fortified  city,  and  mighty 
fortress,  were  taken — General  Scott  had  to  report  but  two  com 
missioned  officers  killed,  and  not  a  dozen  private  men.  Neither  was 
the  strife  carried  on,  with  heavy  guns  and  mortars  alone ;  for  clouds 
of  skirmishers  hovered  around  the  city  on  the  sand-hills  and  in  the 
dense  chaparral.  Along  the  lines  of  investment,  extending  for  five 
or  six  miles,  the  enemy  had  to  be  driven  off  at  various  points  by 
our  gallant  volunteers  and  cavalry;  still,  this  great  victory  may  be 
regarded  as  almost  a  bloodless  one.  Who  does  not  remember  the 
feelings  of  surprise  as  well  as  of  joy,  which  spread  over  the  land 
when  the  news  reached  the  United  States  ?  The  friends  of  Scott, 
felt  proud  of  their  General  of  science.  The  friends  of  humanity 
rejoiced,  that  while  the  enemy,  disregarding  the  summons  to  sur 
render,  had  to  lament  the  loss  of  many  of  his  unresisting  citizens, 
as  well  as  combatants;  yet,  such  was  the  skill  and  judgment  of  the 
commander,  such  the  harmonious  co-operation  of  our  gallant  naval 
ofiicers  and  tars  with  the  land  troops,  that  we  at  home,  had  but  few 
widows  and  orphans  to  lament  over  the  result  of  the  Siege  of  Vera 
Cruz.  Indeed  it  was  almost  amusing,  to  find  some  of  those  who 
had  been  in  the  habit  so  long  of  underrating  and  reviling  Scott, 
actually  attempting  to  disparage  his  great  achievement,  because  he 
did  not  have  more  killed.  It  is  a  disgraceful  truth,  that  some  of  our 
own  citizens  were  at  first  disposed  to  unite  in  the  sneers  of  an  Eng 
lish  traveller,  George  F.  Ruxton,  Esq.,  of  Munchausen  memory — a 
gentleman  who  passed  through  Mexico  the  summer  previous ;  whose 
hunting  feats,  when  he  was  alone,  sometimes  in  deep  snows,  and 
sometimes  in  the  fiery  prairies — especially  when  shooting  a  wolf  by 
holding  a  rifle  across  his  knees,  charged  with  his  hickory  ramrod — 


THE  SIEGE  OF  VEKA  CRUZ.  205 

which  ignited  as  it  flew  into  the  wolf,  who  darted  into  the  prairie 
with  it  sticking  in  him  like  a  fiery  comet;  and  many  other  marvels 
of  the  like  kind,  render  his  severe  criticism  upon  Scott  less  formidable 
than  they  might  be  from  a  more  veracious,  but  less  amusing  voya- 
geur.  We  quote  from  Mr.  Ruxton's  book  his  opinion  of  the  Siege 
of  Yera  Cruz : 

"  Since  my  visit,  it  has  also  felt  the  force  of  American  ire — and 
withstood  a  bombardment  for  several  days,  with  what  object  it  is 
impossible  to  divine,  since  a  couple  of  thousand  men  might  have  at 
any  time  taken  it  by  assault.  The  Castle  was  not  attacked,  and  was 
concluded  in  the  capitulation  without  being  asked  for — Cosa  de 
Mexico.  The  town  was  attacked  by  the  American  troops  under 
General  Scott  within  ten  months  after  my  visit.  It  suffered  a  bom 
bardment,  as  is  well  known,  of  several  days,  an  unnecessary  act  of 
cruelty  in  my  opinion,  since  to  my  knowledge  there  were  no  de 
fences  round  the  city  which  could  not  have  been  carried,  including 
the  city  itself,  by  a  couple  of  battalions  of  Missouri  volunteers.  I 
certainly  left  Vera  Cruz  under  the  impression  that  it  was  not  a  for 
tified  place,  with  exception  of  the  paltry  wall  I  have  mentioned, 
which,  if  my  memory  serves  me,  was  not  even  loopholed  for  mus 
ketry.  However,  temporary  defences  may  have  been  thrown  up  in 
the  interval  between  my  visit  and  the  American  attack ;  still,  I  can 
not  but  think  that  the  bombardment  was  cruel  and  unnecessary. 
The  Castle  could  have  been  carried  by  &  frigate' s  boarders,  having 
but  seven  hundred  naked  Indians  to  defend  it." 

In  endeavouring  to  mitigate  the  severity  of  thfi?  military  gentle 
man  of  the  ramrod  (as  famous  for  his  horse  Panchito,  as  the  re 
nowned  Sancho  for  his  Dapple),  we  find  that  he  lays  it  down  as  a 
clear  proposition,  page  176,  "  The  American  never  can  be  made  a 
soldier."  Knowing  this,  he  should  have  been  less  severe  upon  us ; 
for  if  we  had  no  soldiers,  even  the  seven  hundred  naked  Indians 
might  have  held  San  Juan  against  us;  and  how  were  we  to  get 
these  very  Missouri  battalions  from  California  in  time  ?  They  were 
the  very  men,  by  the  way,  under  Colonel  Doniphan,  that  the  un 
sparing  Mr.  Ruxton  was  speaking  of,  when  he  pronounces  the  ora 
cular  military  maxim  above  named,  (though  in  the  previous  sen- 

18 


206  APPENDIX. 

tence  he  admits  that  they  defeated  "four  times  their  number  of 
Mexicans  at  the  Sacramento.")  But  while  the  opinions  of  Mr. 
Ruxton  defeat  themselves  by  their  very  inconsistencies  and  mani 
fest  absurdities  on  their  face,  yet  something  like  this  charge  of 
inhumanity  on  the  part  of  Scott  has  come  from  more  respectable 
authority.  We  allege  that  it  is  utterly  unwarranted.  If  there  be 
one  trait  in  the  character  of  General  Scott,  proven  and  palpable,  it 
is  his  humanity — his  willingness  always  to  spare'  the  effusion  of 
blood — his  love  of,  and  efforts  for,  peace,  though  a  man  of  war 
from  his  youth.  The  adjustment  of  the  border  troubles  on  the 
Canada  frontier;  his  dignified  prudence  in  South  Carolina;  his 
humane  and  wise  treaties  with  the  northwestern  Indians,  after  the 
Black  Hawk  war; — all  carry  with  them  the  negation  of  such  an 
imputation.  But  let  us  look  to  the  facts  of  the  Vera  Cruz  siege, 
to  disprove  the  charge. 

General  Scott's  troops  landed  on  the  9th  of  March ;'  no  bombard 
ment  was  commenced  until  the  22d,  in  the  afternoon,  as  appears 
from  the  Report  of  Colonel  Bankhead,  the  chief  of  the  artillery. 
As  early  as  the  13th,  General  Scott,  in  answer  to  a  note  from  the 
Spanish  consul,  sent  safeguards  for  all  the  foreign  consuls,  their 
families,  &c.  Late  on  the  24th,  two  days  after  the  bombardment 
began,  these  consuls  requested  of  Scott  to  suspend  hostilities,  to  per 
mit  the  women  and  children  to  leave  Vera  Cruz.  Scott,  in  his 
answer,  refers  them  to  the  fact,  that  before  he  fired  a  gun,  he  made 
an  appeal,  by  a  formal  and  respectful  summons  to  the  Governor  of 
the  city,  telling  him  that  he  had  invested  the  city,  and  anxious  to 
spare  their  beautiful  town,  its  defenders,  -and  its  peaceful  inhabi 
tants,  women  and  children  inclusive,  he  proposes  a  surrender ;  nay 
more,  he  went  so  far  as  to  pledge  himself,  if  the  Governor  would 
surrender  the  city,  that  no  gun  should  be  fired  from  the  city,  its 
bastions  or  walls  on  the  Castle,  so  as  to  draw  its  fire  upon  Vera  Cruz, 
unless  the  Castle  fired  first.  The  Governor  chooses  to  defy  .Scott, 
takes  no  notice  of  this  last  humane  and  generous  proposition,  and 
tells  him  to  commence  his  operations  in  any  way  he  thinks  best. 
General  Scott  further  tells  the  consuls,  in  his  answer  to  them  of  the 
£5th,  that  he  had  purposely,  up  to  the  23d,  to  allow  the  escape  of 


THE  SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  207 

the  neutrals,  (in  which  term  he  manifestly  includes  the  women  and 
children,)  left  open  the  communication  between  the  city  and  the 
neutral  ships  lying  off  Sacrificios ;  that  having  done  all  he  could  to 
spare  these  defenceless  persons,  he  is  still  willing  to  spare  them,  if 
the  Governor  is  ivilliiig  to  surrender. 

War  has  itsevilsr  and  among  the  most  lamentable  is  the  suffering 
of  the  innocent  and  helpless,  who  are  oftentimes  involved  in  the 
fate  of  their  sterner  protectors ;  at  the  same  time,  war  is  no  child's 
play,  and  has  its  duties  too ;  and  when  the  assailant  has  done  what 
humanity  dictates,  and  he  proposes  to  the  besieged  to  spare  these 
victims  of  war  by  a  timely  surrender,  or  on  fair  terms,  of  arrange 
ment  for  their  safety,  the  responsibility  is  shifted  to  the  beleaguered 
party.  What  more  could  General  Scott  do  ?  Was  he  to  relinquish 
the  enterprise,  because  bombshells  would  burst  and  cannon-balls 
demolish  ?  Whose  fault  was  it  that  those  stern,  iron  visitors  fell 
upon  the  hearth-stones,  and  shattered  the  household  gods  ?  Not 
General  Scott's,  we  say  again.  The  Governor  could  have  averted  it 
by  a  surrender :  he  could  have  yielded  to  Scott's  humane  proposi 
tion  to  give  up  the  city  alone,  and  make  it  safe  from  the  cannon  ; 
he  could  have  done  this,  at  any  hour  from  the  evening  of  the  22d 
of  March,  when  the  first  gun  was  fired,  up  to  the  26th,  when  he 
did  do  it  at  last.  We  blame  him  not, — he  may  have  done  his  duty 
to  his  country, — but  neither  should  our  General  be  blamed  for  wan 
ton  or  useless  bloodshedding. 

We  shall  be  brief  in  our  details  of  this  memorable  siege.  The 
leading  facts  are  known  to  the  world.  The  brave  men  who  partici 
pated  in  it,  as  well  of  the  navy  as  the  army,  deserve  all  to  be  known 
and  named.  We  hear  of  none  who  did  not  do  their  duty— and  let 
it  be  remembered,  that  the  navy  deserves  more  credit  than  it  has  re 
ceived,  for  its  services  in  the  war  of  Mexico.  The  whole  of  a  sailor's 
duty  is  not  comprised  in  fighting  his  ship.  Here  had  our  gallant 
tars  been,  on  this  coast,  for  months  before,  taking  the  towns, — 
watching  the  ports — cutting  off  the  commerce  of  the  enemy — no 
safe  harbour  to  run  into,  under  the  storm  of  the  sudden  and  violent 
north  winds — and  during  the  siege  they  did  their  full  share  of  the 
land  duty. 


208  APPENDIX. 

It  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  exciting  spectacles  ever 
witnessed, — the  landing  of  our  army,  in  the  surf-boats. 

The  white-washed  houses  and  tall  steeples  of  Vera  Cruz — shining 
in  the  sun — the  frowning  fortress  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa — the 
graceful  ships  in  the  offing — sixty-seven  large  boats,  each  com 
manded  by  a  naval  officer,  and  rowed  by  seamen,  filled  with  soldiers, 
first  Gen.  Worth's  brigade  of  regulars, — then  the  volunteers  under 
G-en.  Patterson, — then  Twiggs-  reserve  of  regulars — were  succes 
sively  landed  upon  the  shore — below  the  city,  as  quietly  and  as 
safely,  as  if  they  had  been  ferried  over  a  river  at  home. 

Four  gun-boats  from  our  squadron  had  at  daybreak  left  Antonio 
Lizardo  under  Lieuts.  Sterret,  Benham,  Biddle,  and  Shaw,  and  an 
choring  within  a  pistol-shot  of  the  shore,  fired  upon  some  videttes 
of  cavalry,  or  squadrons  of  lancers,  who  took  the  hint  and  retired — 
and  by  the  way,  these  same  valuable  little  vessels,  with  the  addition 
of  the  Spitfire  under  Tatnall,  the  Vixen,  under  Sands,  with  another 
schooner,  the  Falcon,  on  the  24th,  run  almost  within  a  mile  of  the 
city,  and  fired  away  most  daringly,  until  Commodore  Perry  actu 
ally  had  to  recall  them  from  a  position  most  hazardous,  if  the 
enemy  had  not  been  too  busy,  or  too  awkward  to  sink  them.  Tat- 
nall  and  his  coadjutors,  however,  did  yeomen's  service  with  this  part 
of  the  fleet. — The  experienced  Col.  Bankhead  was  the  chief  of  artil 
lery,  and  he  makes  four  reports  during  the  siege,  to  head-quarters, 
in  one  of  which  he  speaks  of  the  lamented  death  of  Capt.  Vinton, 
commanding  battery  No.  3.  And  eleven  days  before,  during  the 
investment,  a  gallant  officer,  young  in  years  but  old  in  service, 
Captain  William  Alburtis  of  Virginia,  who  had  been  brevetted  for 
his  gallantry  in  the  Florida  war,  was  killed  by  a  distant  shot  from 
the  city  or  Castle,  which  at  the  same  time  killed  a  private  and 
wounded  two  others.  Vinton  and  Alburtis  were  the  only  two  com 
missioned  officers  killed.  The  writer  may  be  pardoned  for  a  pause 
of  sad  regret  at  this  untimely  catastrophe.  That  fatal  ball,  how 
ever,  only  deprived  him  of  a  valued  friend;  while  an  aged  mother, 
his  young  widow,  and  an  only  son,  felt  the  heavier  bereavement  of  a 
dutiful  son,  an  affectionate  husband,  and  devoted  father.  Strange 
to  say,  he  had  a  presentiment,  a  distinct  premonition  of  the  event — 


THE  SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  209 

his  last  letters,  written  upon  landing,  contained  his  will,  with  minute 
directions  as  to  the  education  of  his  child.  Peace  to  his  ashes !  He 
died  as  a  soldier  wishes  to  die,  in  the  ranks  of  his  country,  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty — his  sword  in  his  hand  and  his  face  to  the  foe ! 

The  investment  of  Vera  Cruz  was  no  parade  duty.  It  was  arduous 
and  perilous.  The  infantry,  under  Patterson  and  Twiggs — General 
Pillow  commanding  the  volunteers  from  Pennsylvania  and  Tennes 
see — drove  the  enemy  through  the  dense  thickets  of  chaparral. 
General  Quitman,  who  commanded  the  men  of  the  South,  the  gallant 
South  Carolina  regiment,  (called  the  Palmetto,)  the  Georgia,  and 
companies  of  the  Alabama  regiment,  cleared  the  outskirts  of  the  city 
of  skirmishers  and  lancers.  Shields,  with  the  New  Yorkers,  aided 
in  the  preliminary  duty ;  while  the  bold  Colonel  Harney  and  the 
gallant  Sumner,  with  their  dragoons  of  the  second  regiment  of  that 
arm,  assisted  by  the  brave  Colonel  Campbell  of  the  first  Tennessee 
volunteers,  routed  the  enemy  at  the  fortified  „  post  of  Puente  del 
Morena,  and  drove  them  six  or  eight  miles  from  the  scene  of  action. 
The  engineers  under  Totten,  with  such  aids  as  Colonel  Smith,  Cap 
tain  R.  E.  Lee,  Saunders,  and  the  gallant  subalterns  of  this  valuable 
corps,  had  their  day  of  work  at  this  time.  Batteries  were  to  be 
placed,  trenches  were  to  be  dug,  the  science  of  the  West  Point 
alumnus  was  now  to  be  tested,  in  actual  service,  under  fire.  The 
artillerists,  under  Bankhead,  such  men  as  Brooks  and  Vinton  and 
M'Kenzie  and  Anderson,  were  to  show  their  skill  and  prowess,  and 
stand  to  their  cannon,  day  and  night.  The  ordnance  officer,  Huger, 
was  to  give  his  time  and  care  and  provident  attention  to  the  supply 
of  these  instruments  of  death  and  destruction.  All  were  at  work 
faithfully,  constantly,  unremittingly,  and  cheerfully. 

On  the  evening  of  the  22d,  the  hurricane  of  iron  missiles  began 
its  ravages  upon  the  devoted  town;  northers  blew  the  clouds  of 
sand  into  the  faces  of  the  besiegers,  and  over  their  works,  filling  up 
the  trenches  j  water  and  food  had  to  be  carried  sometimes  five  miles ; 
the  soldier  lived  in  the  trenches,  and  if  he  slept,  slumbered  to  the 
sound  of  cannon  and  the  burst  of  the  bomb-shell;  half  a  million  of 
pounds  weight  of  iron  balls  and  shells  were  from  the  22d  to  the 
26th  of  March,  hurled  through  the  troubled  air,  besides  those  fired 

18* 


210  APPENDIX. 

from  the  city  and  Castle.  The  houses  are  shattered,  the  churches 
are  on  fire  ;  the  devoted  city,  like  the  "  cities  of  the  plain/ '  is  under 
a  shower  of  destruction.  The  Governor,  Landero,  yielding  at  last  to 
the  calls  of  humanity,  proposes  a  capitulation,  and  after  a  brief  ne 
gotiation  as  to  the  terms,  articles  of  capitulation  and  surrender  are 
signed  by  the  commissioners  of  our  army  and  navy,  Generals  Worth 
and  Pillow,  and  Colonel  Totten  and  Captain  Aulick,  on  behalf  of 
the  navy,  and  Colonels  Villaneuva,  Roblis,  and  Herrera,  on  the 
part  of  Mexico.  The  Castle  and  city  are  surrendered,  with  all  forts, 
armaments,  and  munitions  of  war — the  garrison  as  prisoners  of  war. 
The  officers  and  soldiers  are  discharged  on  parole,  (and  the  wisdom 
of  the  step  was  proved  by  the  fact,  that  they  were  not  found  at 
Cerro  Gordo,  a  month  afterwards,)  the  flag  of  the  United  States  was 
raised  over  the  city  and  the  far-famed  fortress  of  San  Juan  de 
Ulloa,  on  the  29th  of  March. 

Thus  was  this  great  work  done.  Let  the  reader  of  military  annals 
furnish  a  parallel,  if  he  can,  to  this  exploit;  let  him  point  out  in  the 
wars  of  the  Peninsula,  or  Napoleon's  campaigns,  where  he  can  find 
such  a  work  performed  in  twenty  days  from  the  deck  of  the  trans 
port,  to  the  planting  of  our  flag  on  the  highest  battlement  of  the 
water-girt  fortress. 

The  reflections  which  naturally  suggest  themselves  to  the  mind 
on  reading  the  accounts  of  this  siege,  are  in  part  already  referred  to. 
Another  is,  that  the  capture  was  effected  strictly  according  to  plans 
carefully  made  and  written  out  by  General  Scott,  before  he  left  the 
seat  of  government  for  the  seat  of  war. 

The  ancients  regarded  the  favour  of  the  goddess  "Fortune"  as  the 
highest  recommendation  of  a  leader  in  war.  General  Scott,  it  is 
very  manifest,  is  rather  disposed  always  to  trust  to  his  own  judg 
ment  and  foresight  than  to  the  smiles  of  the  fickle  goddess. 

He  said  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  on  the  27th  of  October,  1846, 
"To  take  the  Castle  of  San  Juan  d' Ulloa,  would  no  doubt  be  a 
virtual  and  prompt  capture  of  the  city  lying  under  its  guns.  The 
reverse  of  the  proposition  would  probably  not  be  equally  certain — I 
mean  in  any  short  time.  The  Castle,  after  the  loss  of  the  city, 
might  still  hold  out  for  many  weeks,  perhaps  months,  until  com- 


THE  SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  211 

pelled  to  surrender  from  the  want  of  subsistence  and  water,  unless 
earlier  reduced  by  land  and  water  batteries,  escalade,  &c." 

"It  is  believed  that  the  Castle,  with  a  proper  garrison,  cannot  be 
taken  with  water  batteries  alone,  or  by  the  latter  and  an  escalade, 
without  a  very  heavy  and  disproportionate  loss  of  life  on  the  part  of 
the  assailants,  besides  a  loss  of  time,  which  by  running  into  the 
season  of  the  vomito,  might  quadruple  the  waste  of  life,  and  cause 
the  invading  army  to  lose  a  campaign. 

"For  these  reasons,  it  seems  decidedly  preferable  to  capture  the 
city  first,  and  by  its  means  (shelter  and  guns),  to  attack  the  Castle 
by  land  and  water,  including  joint  escalades,  unless  it  should  be 
found  probable  that  the  want  of  food  and  drinking  water  would  lead 
to  an  early  surrender/' 

He  goes  on  to  point  out  even  the  very  place  proper  to  land  our 
troops,  to  suggest  the  plan  of  surf-boats,  to  propose  additional  bomb- 
ketches  ;  and  on  the  12th  of  November  he  again  proposes  to  take 
the  Castle  through  the  capture  of  the  city,  and  suggests  that  he 
shall  have  an  ample  force  to  press  the  war  into  the  interior — 1,  be 
cause  it  would  shorten  the  war,  and  thus  economize  life;  2,  because 
a  little  war  is  a  greater  evil  than  a  big  war.  He  looks  at  the  under 
taking  in  every  point  of  view,  and  under  every  probable  result;  and 
in  this  instance,  as  in  almost  every  other  during  the  war,  his  sagacity 
and  military  foresight,  to  the  mere  civilian,  seem  wonderful.  The 
ablest  generals  have  had  their  reverses,  and  have  made  mistakes. 
The  art  of  war  has  been  compared  to  the  game  of  chess.  Where 
will  you  find  the  most  skilful  commander  who  has  never  made 
a  false  move,  and  has  never  been  checkmated,  especially  when 
he  must  play  out  the  game  with  the  lack  of  many  of  his  pieces  ? 
And  yet,  when  we  contemplate  the  history  of  Scott's  campaign, 
from  March  to  September,  1847,  in  Mexico,  where  do  we  find  any 
one  serious  reverse  to  his  arms?  On  the  20th  of  August,  the 
memorable  day  of  Contreras  and  Churubuseo,  he  fought  in  one  day 
five  battles.  He  was  gallantly  supported  by  his  brave  officers  and 
indomitable  soldiers ;  still,  his  was  the  hand  that  made  the  moves 
upon  the  military  chess-board ;  his  was  the  eye  that  overlooked  and 
planned  the  game ;  his  the  commanding  and  lofty  bearing  through 


212  APPENDIX. 

the  various  conflicts,  that  inspired  the  poorest  soldier  with  the  spirit 
of  a  hero,  and  gave  him  assurance  of  success. 

He  fought  yet  again,  and  again ;  still  victory  perched  upon  his 
banner.  He  flung  out  the  stars  and  stripes  from  the  national  pa 
lace  of  the  capital,  and  as  they  waved  over  the  conquered  land,  they 
shone  bright  and  untarnished  by  a  single  defeat.  Cortez,  hundreds 
of  years  before,  was  forced  to  lament  over  the  "night  of  despair" 
that  followed  his  defeat  upon  the  causeway — Scott's  gallant  band 
crossed  it  at  the  pas  de  charge,  and  greeted,  with  loud  cheers,  on 
the  plaza  of  the  capital,  a  leader  who  seemed  to  carry  in  his  right 
hand  the  prestige  of  victory. 


CERRO  GORDO. 


ABOUT  ten  miles  from  the  National  Bridge,  the  road  from  Vera 
Cruz  to  the  capital  reaches  a  small  hamlet,  on  a  comparatively  level 
piece  of  ground,  in  a  basin  surrounded  with  mountains  :  this  place  is 
one  of  the  Mexican  ventas,  or  stopping-places  for  the  traveller, 
situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  small  river  called  Rio  del  Plan, 
giving  name  to  this  Mexican  caravanserai,  which  is  called  Plan  del 
Rio.  The  National  Road  here  crosses  two  branches  of  the  river 
Chacalacas,  which  unite  a  short  distance  below  the  venta  or  inn ; 
and  on  this  spot  the  American  camp  was  pitched,  about  the  middle 
of  April,  1847. 

At  this  place  the  tierras  calientes,  or  tropical  country,  may  be 
said  to  end ;  here  begins  the  slope  of  the  tierras  templadas,  the  tem 
perate  regions,  extending  up  to  the  region  of  the  pine  forests,  oppo 
site  the  lofty  Coffer,  or  volcanic  peak  of  Perote. 

From  Plan  del  Rio,  going  to  the  capital,  the  road  winds  towards 
the  north,  in  a  long  circuit,  through  and  along  lofty  ridges,  forming 
one  boundary  of  this  defile,  along  which  runs  the  Rio  del  Plan  j  after 
a  mile  or  two  it  inclines  from  the  northwest  to  the  southwest,  and 
along  this  route,  the  spurs,  or  points  of  lofty  ridges,  spreading  out  like 
the  fingers  on  a  man's  hand,  are  seen  from  the  road;  between  these 
ridges,  deep  valleys,  or  gorges  run  down  towards  the  river,  which, 
from  about  a  mile  above  the  site  of  the  American  camp,  runs  through 
a  deep  precipitous  ravine,  which  continues  like  an  impassable  gulf 
along  the  whole  range  of  the  road  eastwardly ;  on  the  other,  or  south 


214  APPENDIX. 

side  of  the  river,  rises  the  other  wall  of  this  defile  or  basin,  along 
which  there  is  no  regular  road. 

After  passing  some  three  miles  along  the  road,  the  traveller,  who 
is  now  brought  by  the  southern  direction  of  it  close  to  the  river 
again,  sees  on  his  right  a  towering  eminence  crowned  with  a  fortress 
and  military  works,  apparently  inaccessible  if  defended,  a  spot, 
from  its  position,  like  a  giant  guarding  the  portal  of  this  rugged  de 
file,  commanding  all  the  subordinate  strongholds  of  the  ridges  and 
salient  points  of  this  naturally  strong  place  of  defence,  and  the  key 
to  the  whole  position;  on  his  left,  to  the  south,  the  deep  impassa 
ble  ravine  of  the  river.  This  is  Oerro  Gordo.  The  road,  winding 
close  under  the  shadow  of  the  lofty  Cerro  Gordo,  in  another  mile 
comes  to  another,  but  less  lofty  hill,  under  which  the  Mexican  camp 
was  pitched,  more  than  four  miles,  by  the  road,  from  Plan  del  Rio. 

The  reader,  even  without  a  plan  before  him,  may  form  some  idea 
of  this  scene  of  one  of  the  most  gallant  battles  ever  fought — or  to 
speak  more  correctly,  of  a  series  of  battles,  comprising  all  the  diffe 
rent  duties  of  an  army  acting  in  the  offensive,  under  every  conceiva 
ble  disadvantage.  The  perilous  reconnaissance — the  night  march — 
the  clearing  away  of  such  obstacles  as  must  be  encountered  among 
the  mountain  fastnesses — the  driving  in  of  outposts  and  skirmishers 
— the  mano3uvre  to  be  done  with  the  precision  of  a  parade,  on  a 
field  day,  under  the  plunging  shot  of  batteries  commanding  their 
positions — the  charge — the  rush  up  the  steep  mountain-side — the 
storm — the  bayonet  thrust — the  close  conflict — ending  in  victory. 
For  the  defence  of  this  pass, 

1.  The  Mexicans  had  thus,  two  or  three  batteries,  having  in  all 
seventeen  guns,  on  their  extreme  right  nearest  to  Plan  del  Rio,  pro 
tected  on  their  right  by  the  river  ravine. 

2.  Farther  west,  on  the  road,  where  it  is  nearest  the  river,  a  six 
gun  battery. 

3.  Farther  up  on  the  great  commanding  hill,  stood  the  fortress  of 
Cerro  G-ordo,  fenced  round  with  a  double  line  of  advanced  intrench- 
ments,  with  six  guns  commanding  the  ravines  around  it,  the  circum 
jacent  heights,  and  road  at  its  foot. 


CERRO  GORDO.  215 

4.  On  their  extreme  left  was  their  camp,  defended  by  a  battery 
of  five  cannon,  and  having  a  direct  communication  with  the  main 
work  on  the  steep  hill,  which  was  the  point  d'appui  of  their  position. 
General  Scott's  plan  of  action,  afterwards  so  gallantly  seconded  and 
carried  out  by  his  brave  army  of  less  than  nine  thousand  men,  was 
worthy  of  the  science  and  generalship  of  this  great  captain  of  the 
age. 

He  had  an  army  of  more  than  twelve  thousand  men  opposed  to 
him  in  these  mountain  passes,  who  had  chosen  their  positions- 
planted  their  cannon  on  the  commanding  heights — built  up  their 
advanced  intrenchments,  some  of  them  being  strong  stone  walls — 
their  line  occupied  two  miles — defended  altogether  by  some  fifty 
pieces  of  artillery — their  bronze  mouths  pointing  (as  the  Mexicans 
supposed)  upon  every  exposed  point  which  our  little  army  would  be 
forced  to  pass.  The  deep  ravine  and  river — with  its  impracticable 
ground  on  the  south,  forbidding  the  possibility  of  turning  them  on 
that  side ;  with  a  dense  chaparral  and  another  ravine  bounding  the 
pass  on  the  north. 

That  Santa  Anna  regarded  his  position  as  impregnable,  may  be 
inferred  from  the  proclamation  found  in  his  carriage  after  the  defeat. 
It  is  manifest  that  he  eyed  the  entry  of  Scott  with  his  gallant  little 
army  into  this  defile,  with  the  same  grim  satisfaction  that  Leonidas, 
at  Thermopylae,  regarded  the  detachments  from  the  Persian  hosts 
advance  upon  his  devoted  Greeks ;  or  as  Hofer,  the  brave  Tyrolese, 
watched  from  his  mountain  post  the  trained  troops  of  the  French 
emperor  enter  the  silent  gorge  of  the  Innthall,  for  he  says  :  "  Mexi 
cans,  the  momentous  crisis  has  at  length  arrived  to  the  Mexican 
Republic.  If  our  country  is  to  be  defended,  it  will  be  you  who 
will  stop  the  triumphant  march  of  the  enemy  who  occupies  Vera 
Cruz.  Vera  Cruz  calls  for  vengeance — follow  me,  and  wash  out  the 
stain  of  her  dishonour  !  My  duty  is  to  sacrifice  myself,  and  I  well 
know  how  to  fulfil  it !  Perhaps  the  American  hosts  may  proudly 
tread  the  imperial  capital  of  the  Aztecs — I  will  never  witness  such 
an  opprobrium,  for  I  am  decided  first  to  die  fighting.  If  the  enemy 
advance  one  step  more,  the  national  independence  will  be  buried  in 
the  abyss  of  the  past." 


216  APPENDIX. 

The  sententious  humour  of  General  Scott's  commentary  on  this 
grandiloquent  effusion  is  very  characteristic ;  all  that  he  says  about 
it  is  in  five  words  : — "  We  have  taken  that  step."  He  leaves  to  all 
admirers  and  imitators  of  military  bulletins  of  the  "  Ercles  vein" 
to  fancy  how  Santa  Anna  would  finish  the  syllogism. 

General  Scott  having  arranged  his  plans,  and  selected  his  officers 
and  their  respective  corps  for  the  proper  duties  of  each,  with  that 
sound  military  judgment  which  marks  the  judicious  commander, 
published  his  memorable  orders  on  the  17th  of  April,  (General 
Orders,  No.  III.)  The  second  division  of  regulars  under  General 
Twiggs  had  already  been  ordered  in  the  advance,  and  on  that  same 
17th,  had  already  intimated  to  the  enemy,  through  such  gallant  mes 
sengers  as  Colonel  Harney  and  Lieutenant  Gardner,  that  the  work 
was  begun,  and  in  a  way  that  they  least  expected.  General  Twiggs, 
it  must  be  observed,  had  arrived  at  Plan  del  Rio  on  the  llth  of 
April,  the  gallant  Harney  (the  American  Murat),  with  his  dra 
goons  in  the  advance,  driving  off  a  body  of  Mexican  lancers  who 
occupied  that  place.  On  the  12th,  Twiggs  felt  his  way  among  the 
hills,  reconnoitering  the  position,  intending  on  the  13th  to  commence 
hostile  operations,  but  Generals  Pillow  and  Shields  coming  up  with 
their  volunteers,  on,  the  12th,  their  troops  fagged  by  the  unusual 
march  through  the  sandy  road  from  Vera  Cruz,  but  like  gallant 
men  as  they  were  burning  to  take  a  share  in  the  coming  fight, 
begged  of  Twiggs  to  defer  the  attack  one  day ;  he,  appreciating  the 
feelings  of  young  generals  anxious  to  signalize  themselves,  assented; 
and  during  the  13th,  Twiggs'  movement  was  still  longer  deferred 
by  orders  from  General  Patterson  (whose  sickness  placed  the  volun 
teer  troops  under  General  Twiggs'  command).  By  these  orders  he 
was  directed  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Commander-in-chief.  On 
the  evening  of  the  16th,  Twiggs  received  his  verbal  orders  from 
General  Scott  himself;  how  they  were  carried  out,  the  glorious  results 
of  the  17th  and  18th  amply  show,  but  on  the  17th  are  dated  the 
General  Orders  for  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo ;  and  the  highest  com 
pliment  that  could  be  paid  to  a  commander-in-chief,  was  paid  by  the 
military  men  of  France,  when  they  received  with  them  the  pub 
lished  accounts  of  the  battle.  It  was  the  common  remark  among 


CBRRO  GOHDO.  217 

them,  "  That  his  orders  before  the  battle  were  so  exactly  carried 
out,  that  they  might  have  served  for  his  despatches  after  the  ac 
tion."  This  merited  praise  was  from  men  who  had  a  right  to  ex 
press  their  opinions — from  men  who  had  been  marshalled  in  the 
field  by  Napoleon,  Soult,  Bugeaud,  Gerard,  and  Lamoriciere ;  men 
who  had  seen  fighting  under  Napoleon's  lieutenants  on  the  snowy 
steppes  of  Russia,  among  the  Alps,  and  the  burning  sands  of  Africa. 
The  summary  of  G-eneral  Scott's  orders  were,  that  General 
Twiggs  should  turn  the  enemy's  left,  to  cut  off  his  retreat  to  Ja- 
lapa,  while  his  batteries  and  entrenchments  should  be  attacked  in 
front ;  General  Scott,  not  choosing  to  run  the  gauntlet  through  the 
fire  of  the  Mexican  batteries,  decided  to  make  a  detour,  and  throw 
this  advanced  corps  of  his  army  across  his  road  to  Jalapa,  and  to 
effect  this  object,  to  make  a  way  through  the  rugged  country  on  the 
north  of  the  National  Road.  To  effect  this  with  success,  the  science 
and  enterprise  of  that  useful  arm  of  the  service,  the  engineer  corps, 
was  required;  those  patient  and  fearless  pioneers  of  our  .army,  that 
during  the  whole  of  this  gallant  campaign  did  such  signal  service. 
The  official  reports  of  our  generals  of  all  grades,  and  in  all  the  en 
gagements  from  Yera  Cruz  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  are  filled  with 
acknowledgments  of  the  incalculable  value  of  these  useful  officers. 
Here,  upon  the  fields  of  conflict,  in  arduous  and  actual  service,  did 
they  bring  to  the  aid  of  our  cause,  the  accurate  and  valuable  know 
ledge  acquired  in  their  military  alma  mater,  West  Point.  Here, 
in  the  silent,  dark,  and  inclement  night,  when  the  weary  hosts  re 
posed  around  them,  in  advance  even  of  the  picketed  sentinel,  was 
the  engineer  to  be  found  making  his  way  by  the  light  of  the  dim 
lanthorn,  through  thickets  of  chaparral,  wandering  over  the  steep 
hills,  groping  his  way  among  the  lava  fields  of  the  Pedregal,  to  herald 
the  path  of  the  advancing  column  of  infantry  or  squadron  of 
charging  cavalry,  or  to  show  to  the  artillerist  where  to  place  his 
guns;  and,  after  carrying  his  valuable  researches  even  up  to  the 
enemy's  outposts,  the  engineer  returns  to  his  quarters,  not  to 
repose,  or  even  to  take  time  to  prepare  elaborate  reports,  but  to 
head  the  adventurous  detachment,  and  pilot  the  way  to  the  place  of 
conflict,  and  share  in  the  perils  of  the  fight. 

19 


218  APPENDIX. 

It  would  be  almost  invidious  to  single  out  any  one  among  that 
valuable  corps  who  distinguished  himself  above  his  fellows  during 
that  memorable  campaign,  but  the  Virginian  may  be  pardoned 
if  he  dwells  with  some  feeling  of  gratulation  upon  a  name  which 
appeared  then,  not  for  the  first  time,  in  the  annals  of  the  old  com* 
monwealth.  The  service"  here  required  among  the  gorges  of  these 
mountains,  as  well  as  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  afterwards  in 
the  swamps  of  Chalco,  and  among  the  lava-fields  of  Contreras  and 
Churubusco,  and  under  the  batteries  of  the  capital,  was  well  ren 
dered  by  a  worthy  son  of  the  historian  of  the  southern  campaigns 
of  our  Revolution,  "Light  horse  Harry  Lee" — that  gallant  and 
indefatigable  partisan  cavalry  oflicer,  who  was  as  the  right  arm  of 
Greene  and  Marion.  The  same  untiring  watchfulness,  and  dashing 
courage,  that  distinguished  the  sire  in  the  Carolinas,  here  showed 
itself  in  his  son  of  the  same  metal,  though  in  a  more  scientific  arm 
of  the  service,  among  the  hills  and  plains  of  Mexico.  Lieutenant 
Beauregard  had  begun  the  arduous  duty  of  selecting  the  track  and 
preparing  the  rrnd  to  lead  over  slopes  and  chasms,  leaving  the 
National  Road  at  its  most  northerly  point,  and  thus  directing  the 
course  of  the  division  commanded  by  General  Twiggs,  westwardly 
and  to  the  north  of  the  main  work  Cerro  Gordo.  This  duty  was 
carried  out  by  Captain  R.  E.  Lee  of  the  engineers,  until  the  nature 
of  the  ground  brought  the  reconnaissance  within  reach  of  the 
enemy's  batteries,  making  it  necessary  to  carry  by  storm  (I  had 
almost  said  by  escalade)  the  lofty  works  on  Cerro  Gordo.  General 
Twiggs^  moving  early  on  the  17th,  with  the  second  division  of  regu 
lars,  took  his  position  by  eleven  in  the  morning,  the  right  of  his 
column  within  seven  hundred  yards  of  the  enemy's  main  work. 
Here  the  veteran  Twiggs  saw  at  once  the  advantage  of  occupying 
the  heights  on  his  line  of  attack,  opposite  to  the  castle  and  within 
striking  distance.  The  rest  of  the  17th  and  the  night  was  allotted 
to  the  work.  The  events  of  the  next  day  of  strife,  and  the  results 
of  the  enterprise  would  depend  upon  his  seizing  and  holding  these 
opposing  high  grounds,  not  only  by  bivouac,  but  by  the  erection 
of  a  rival  battery,  to  return  the  compliment  of  grape  and  cannon- 
balls,  as  well  as  musket  and  rifle-bullets.  It  was  an  arduous  and 


CERRO  GORDO.  219 

"t&na'ift- L& 

bold  undertaking,  but  it  was  done,  and  effectually  done.  He  de 
tached  Lieutenant  Gardner,  commanding  a  company  of  the  7th 
Infantry,  to  observe  the  enemy  from  the  heights — he  was  met  by  -a 
large  force  of  the  Mexicans,  greatly  outnumbering  his  party,  but  his 
business  was  to  hold  his  position;  and  he  did  it  gallantly  against 
heavy  odds,  until  he  was  relieved,  by  the  artillery  under  Colonel 
Childs,  and  Sumner's  mounted  riflemen;  these  gallant  officers,  under 
the  command  of  Harney  (in  the  absence  of  Brevet  Brigadier  Gene 
ral  Smith,  who  was  sick),  came  to  the  rescue  of  Lieutenant  Gardner, 
with  the  intent  to  drive  the  enemy  back  to  his  fortress,  and  this 
was  -thoroughly  done,  but  at  the  expense  of  a  severe  wound  received 
by  the  brave  Sumner,  whose  command  devolved  upon  Major  Lo- 
ring.  Childs  was  in  apparently  greater  peril  than  Sumner,  but  he 
came  off  unhurt  •  for,  supposing  that  the  work  was  to  be  completed 
at  once  that  evening,  and,  judging  from  a  continuous  fire  on  his 
left  that  the  game  was  opened,  a  part  of  his  regiment  advanced 
within  150  yards  of  the  enemy's  batteries)  and,  without  heeding  the 
recall  (more  than  once  given  by  General  Twiggs),  he  held  his  posi 
tion,  giving  the  enemy  a  foretaste  of  what  he  meant  to  give  them 
next  day  as  a  part  of  the  storming  party.  Finding  himself  unsup 
ported,  he  retired,  having  barely  men  enough  with  him  to  carry  off 
his  wounded.  This  movement  of  the  gallant  artillerist,  though  ap 
parently  rash,  doubtless  had  its  full  effect  upon  the  enemy's  vital 
point,  for  they  were  swept  into  their  stronghold,  and  the  whole 
division  under  Twiggs,  assisted  by  the  volunteers,  were  engaged  in 
placing  on  the  opposing  height  a  battery  of  two  twenty-four-pound 
howitzers  and  a  twenty-four-pound  cannon  within  a  deadly  dis 
tance  of  the  formidable  Cerro  Gordo  and  here,  during  the  dart 
hours  of  the  night  of  the  17th,  were  the  artillerymen  under  Major 
Gardner,  riflemen  and  infantry,  directed  by  the  indefatigable  Cap 
tain  Lee,  assisted  by  Lieutenant  Hagner  of  the  ordnance ;  engaged 
in  the  heavy,  toilsome  duty,  of  dragging  these  heavy  guns  up  the 
hill  (the  men  harnessing  themselves  to  the ,  ropes),  and  preparing 
this  battery  to  cover  the  operations  of  the  coming  day  of  conflict; 
but  hard  work,  like  hard  fighting,  was  all  one  to  willing  hearts, 
knowing  their  duties,  and  bent  on  performing  them.  Nor  was  this 


220  APPENDIX. 

all  that  was  done  on  that  eventful  day  and  night,  for  the  reader 
must  bear  in  mind,  that  from  the  very  plan  of  operations,  the  battle 
could  not  be  confined  to  one  point  or  field  of  conflict. 

The  veteran  Bennet  Riley,  commanding  the  2d  brigade  of  this 
second  division,  co-operated  with  Harney  of  the  first  brigade,  and 
was  marching  to  the  assistance  of  Childs,  when  he  was  recalled  by 
General  Twiggs.  And  on  another  point  of  this  extended  scene  of 
action,  General  Pillow,  of  the  first  brigade  of  volunteers,  consisting 
of  the  Pennsylvania  and  Tennessee  regiments,  a  company  of  Ken 
tucky  volunteers,  and  a  squadron  of  cavalry,  had  been  allotted  to 
the  duty  of  assaulting  the  enemy's  batteries  nearest  Plan  del  Rio ; 
these  were  formidable  batteries,  of  seventeen  guns  in  all,  upon  three 
spurs  of  ridges  pointing  towards  the  east  and  north,  from  which  the 
enemy  had  communication  with  their  other  works  by  roads  along 
the  ridges,  but  which,  if  assailed  in  front,  had  to  be  approached  over 
a  route  by  no  means  so  easy.  General  Pillow  was,  by  the  general 
orders,  to  attack  these  in  front;  the  one  nearest  the  river  if  possible; 
pierce  the  position,  take  them  in  reverse,  or  pursue  the  Mexicans 
holding  them,  if  they  were  abandoned.  In  connexion  with  this  de 
monstration  on  the  enemy's  right,  was  another  laborious  and  bold 
movement,  performed  by  Lieutenants  Ripley  of  the  artillery,  Tower 
of  the  engineers,  and  Lieutenant  Laidley  of  the  ordnance,  for,  with 
the  spirit  that  animated  these  corps,  they  succeeded  in  carrying  an 
eight-inch  howitzer  across  the  river  to  the  south  side,  planted  it  on 
the  heights  there,  so  as  to  support  by  an  enfilading  fire,  the  assault 
of  General  Pillow's  brigade. 

The  morning  of  the  18th  dawned.  The  battery  on  the  hill,  next 
to  Cerro  Gordo,  was  in  position.  The  rocket  and  howitzer  batteries 
attached  to  the  division  under  Major  Talcott  were  divided,  but  the 
cannonade  from  the  hill  began  at  seven  in  the  morning. 

Colonel  Riley  with  his  brigade  moved  off  in  a  circuit  to  gain  the 
Jalapa  road,  by  going  round  the  main  work.  This  movement  was 
made  under  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  from  the  Castle  and  the  enemy's 
infantry  on  the  slope  of  the  hill.  Riley  detached  part  of  his  force 
to  attack  these,  while  the  rest  of  his  command  moved  on  in  the 
original  direction  with  Lieutenant  Benjamin,  under  the  guidance  of 


CERRO  GORDO.  221 

Captain  Lee  of  the  engineers.  Again,  a  detachment  of  three  com 
panies  was  ordered  from  his  brigade  to  join  those  already  detached, 
and  while  Colonel  Harney,  with  his  indomitable  storming  party,  was 
pressing  up  the  slope  from  the  east,  Riley's  companies  were  moving 
at  the  pas  de -charge  up  the  opposite  side,  to  meet  them  at  the 
summit. 

Shields,  at  daylight,  moved  off  with  his  volunteers,  the  3d  and  4th 
Illinois  regiments,  and  the  New  York  troops,  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  Foreman,  Colonel  Burnett,  and  Major  Harris,  crossing  the 
ravine  on  the  north,  and  taking  a  still  wider  sweep  through  the 
dense  thickets,  with  the  purpose  of  turning  the  enemy's  left.  This 
route  brought  them  some  half  a  mile  to  the  rear  of  Cerro  Gordo/ 
and  upon  the  five-gun  battery,  near  the  enemy's  camp.  Here  the 
gallant  Shields,  leading  his  troops,  fell  desperately  wounded  with  a 
grape-shot,  which  passed  through  his  breast,  and  the  command  de 
volved  upon  Colonel  Baker,  of  Illinois,  who  bravely  carried  out  the 
work  which  Shields  had  so  resolutely  begun. 

But  the  most  striking  movement  of  the  day  was  made  under  the 
command  of  the  distinguished  Harney ;  he  led  the  storming  party 
from  the  base  of  the  day's  operations,  Twiggs'  position.  Joined  by 
six  companies  of  the  3d  infantry,  under  Captain  Alexander,  four  of 
artillery,  commanded  by  the  brave  Childs,  now  about  to  complete 
his  work  began  on  the  evening  preceding,  Harney  formed  his  little 
band,  sending  his  rifles  under  Loring  to  the  left,  to  keep  the  enemy 
in  check  there ;  and  observing  a  large  reinforcement  coming  up  from 
the  left  on  the  main  road,  he  determined  to  anticipate  the  attack  by 
his  riflemen ;  placed  the  7th  infantry  on  the  right,  the  3d  on  the 
left,  the  artillery  in  the  .rear ;  and  made  his  swoop,  like  an  eagle 
from  his  eyrie.  On  went  the  steadfast  Americans,  under  a  storm  of 
shot  from  musket,  rifle,  escopette,  and  cannon;  our  howitzers, 
rockets,  and  heavy  gun  from  the  redoubt  above,  vaulted  an  arch  of 
iron  hail  still  higher  than  the  hurricane  of  Mexican  missiles.  The 
gallant  Harney,  his  commanding  figure  towering  above  his  host, 
cheered  them  on  to  the  steep  ascent.  They  breasted  it  like  heroes ; 
killed  and  wounded  fell  thick  around  them  under  the  plunging  fire 
from  above;  the  survivors  have  no  time  to  heed  them — onward, 

19* 


222  APPENDIX. 

onward  !  is  the  word.  The  spirit  outlasts  the  breath  ;  the  soldiers 
of  the  7th  halt — not  to  retreat,  but  to  gather  wind  for  another  rush. 
There  is  but  one  word  of  command  from  the  officers,  from  Plympton, 
Childs,  Alexander,  or  Harney, — "  Charge  !  charge  !"  The  first 
intrenchment  of  mountain  stone  is  reached — the  enemy  are  serried 
behind  it;  again  Harney's  word  of  command,  like  a  bugle-note, 
seems  to  be  the  motive  power  of  the  little  phalanx — it  is  surmounted ; 
cleared;  the  bayonets  cross  fora  moment — and  it  is  left  behind.  Then 
up — up — up  the  steep  slope  press  the  gallant  party  to  the  next 
intrenchment,  close  under  the  lofty  citadel.  The  same  result  fol 
lows  ;  another  struggle,  the  fiercest  and  the  last,  and  the  position  is 
gained !  The  Mexican  colours  are  down.  The  stars  and  stripes 
float  out  from  the  summit  of  Cerro  Gordo.  The  gallant  Quarter 
master  Sergeant  Henry,  of  the  7th  Infantry,  is  the  first  to  bring 
down  the  banner  of  Mexico,  which  had  so  long  predominated  over 
the  rugged  hills  of  this  mountain  pass,  and  down  the  slope  of  their 
famed  fortress  hurry  the  flying  Mexicans. 

This  bold  charge  was  made  under  the  eye  of  the  commanding 
General,  who  witnessed  it  in  person ;  he  was  on  the  spot  inspiring 
his  subalterns  and  soldiers  with  confidence,  by  his  martial  bearing 
and  calm  intrepidity.  It  is  related  of  him,  that  perceiving  a  person 
severely  wounded  in  the  very  storm  of  the  battle,  and  being  in 
formed  that  it  was  Captain  George  W.  Patten,  of  Biley's  brigade, 
he  stopped  to  address  some  words  of  sympathy,  or  kind  inquiry,  to 
him,  but  such  was  the  roar  of  the  conflict,  that  the  wounded  officer 
could  not  hear  the  words. 

Captain  Magruder,  of  the  artillery,  who  had  on  the  day  before 
gone  to  the  aid  of  Colonel  Childs,  under  a  shower  of  balls,  was  now 
directed  to  turn  the  cannon  upon  the  enemy  below,  towards  the 
west ;  they  were  attacked  in  flank  also,  about  the  very  critical  period 
when  their  great  work  was  taken.  A  part  of  Riley's  command, 
under  the  conduct  of  Captain  Lee  of  the  engineers,  together  with 
the  volunteers  under  Shields,  succeeded  by  Baker,  as  before  related, 
coming  in  upon  the  Mexicans  on  their  extreme  left,  routed  them 
effectually.  Though  the  leader  of  these  brave  volunteers  fell,  as  it 
was  supposed,  mortally  wounded,  the  command  devolved  upon  one 


CERRO  GORDO.  223 

suited  to  the  emergency,  Colonel  Baker,  who,  like  others  of  his 
countrymen,  showed  himself  at  home  in  the  chaparral  of  the 
Mexican  mountains,  as  well  as  upon  the  floor  of  Congress ;  his  New 
York  and  Illinois  troops  moved  upon  the  enemy  behind  Cerro 
Gordo,  took  his  guns,  baggage,  and  many  prisoners,  and,  with  a 
large  portion  of  his  command,  he  joined  Captain  Taylor,  of  the  light 
artillery,  and  part  of  Riley's  troops  under  Lieutenant  Lyon — first 
under  the  direction  of  Twiggs,  then  under  Major-General  Patterson, 
who  had  left  a  sick  bed  for  the  post  of  duty,  and  conducted  these 
victorious  troops  in  the  pursuit,  as  far  as  Jalapa.  General  Worth, 
who  was  ordered  to  march  by  the  right,  in  support  of  Twiggs,  came 
up  in  time  to  witness  the  taking  of  Cerro  Gordo,  and  was  with 
General  Scott  in  the  fortress  when  the  white  flag  was  displayed, 
and  the  surrender  effected  at  the  position  carried  by  the  volunteers. 
He  passed  on  with  his  force,  and  in  four  days  was  master  of  Perote. 
The  victory  was  complete,  it  was  a  rout.  There  was  no  point 
unassailed,  and  no  position  left  to  the  Mexicans ;  for  on  the  enemy's 
right,  General  Pillow,  on  the  18th,  waiting,  as  he  was  directed,  to 
assail  the  formidable  batteries  opposed  to  him,  but  not  until  he 
should  find  the  action  commenced  on  the  enemy's  left,  brought  up 
his  command  to  their  post  of  danger,  but  the  fierce  shower  of  shot 
from  the  batteries  obliged  him  to  retire  his  troops  out  of  the  fire,  and 
prepare  for  another  attack,  the  flanking  howitzer  across  the  river, 
under  the  charge  of  Lieutenant  Ripley,  pouring  in  a  steady  fire  in 
the  mean  time.  Pillow,  though  wounded  in  the  first  assault,  and 
rendered  "  hors  de  combat,"  did  not  intend  to  give  up  the  contest, 
but  assisted  by  Colonel  Campbell  and  his  brave  officers,  was  ready 
for  another  assault  upon  battery  No.  1,  when  he  heard  of  the  sur 
render  of  the  key  of  the  enemy's  position,  and  the  necessary  result 
was,  the  surrender  of  the  batteries  against  which  he  was  acting. 
This  part  of  the  engagement,  though  not  so  successful  as  the  attacks 
about  Cerro  Gordo,  answered  the  purposes  and  fulfilled  the  wishes 
of  the  Commander-in-chief.  The  enemy  had  work  to  do  at  every 
point  of  his  defences,  the  simultaneous  movement  upon  him  at  all 
points,  prevented  all  succouring  manoeuvres,  and  made  quick  work  of 
it.  The  reports  of  the  casualties  in  Pillow's  brigade,  testify  that 


224  APPENDIX. 

even  more  were  killed  and  wounded  of  his  brigade  than  in  the  more 
successful  corps  of  General  Shields. 

Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  one  of  the  most  remark 
able  in  our  annals,  for  the  triumphant  results  of  a  battle  which  from 
its  very  character  seemed  to  forbid  the  possibility  of  entire  success 
in  all  its  details,  being  a  series  of  separate  attacks  against  various 
points  lying  widely  apart,  >and  separated  by  a  country  rugged  to 
wildness ;  done,  too,  in  one  combined  and  well-concerted  movement, 
by  troops  of  all  grades  of  experience,  volunteers,  who  fought  like 
veterans,  raw  levies  even  among  the  regulars,  who  had  not  received 
two  weeks'  drilling,  and  never  before  fired  a  shot  in  battle  (one-half 
of  the  3d  infantry  under*  Alexander  were  of  this  class),  against 
heavy  odds  numerically,  without  regarding  the  advantages  or  posi 
tion,  and  the  .defence  of  intrenchments,  for  General  Scott's  army, 
including  his  reserve,  did  not  exceed  8500,  while  the  enemy  were 
more  than  12,000.  The  enemy  had  but  to  await  the  attack  on  their 
lofty  perch,  and  then  fire  or  charge  down  upon  us ;  while  our  men 
had  to  cut  roads  for  their  march  through  tangled  thickets,  over 
hills  and  deep  ravines,  drag  their  cannon  up  precipices  with  their 
own  hands,  where  the  sure-footed  mule  could  not  work ;  and  when 
the  word  "forward"  was  given,  to  spend  strength  and  breath  up 
the  steep  slopes  under  the  pelting  storms  of  bullets  from  above. 
And  as  to  the  "  morale"  in  the  comparison,  our  soldier  was  in  a 
foreign  land,  impelled  by  no  hope  of  plunder  (for  his  stern  but 
prudent  leader  would  not  allow  it),  his  sole  stimulus,  his  sense  of 
duty,  his  sole'  attraction,  the  waving  folds  of  the  "flower  flag"  of 
his  country ;  the  Mexicans  fought  for  home,  and  hearth-stone,  for 
country  and  kindred,  for  national  honour  against  an  invading  foe, 
under  a  leader  who  battled  on  his  patrimonial  lands,  and  had  sworn 
to,  conquer  or  die  fighting,  with  his  face  to  the  foe,  defending  at 
once  his  country's  independence,  and  his  own  estate.  And  yet 
were  the  Mexicans  beaten,  even  to  disorganization ;  more  than  1000 
killed  and  wounded,  one  general  officer  killed,  and  five  taken  pri 
soners,  3000  prisoners  taken  .and  discharged  on  parole.  The  self- 
sacrificing  general-in-chief,  Santa  Anna,  flying  ahead  of  his  routed 
troops.  The  stunning  effect  of  the  defeat  lasting  for  months,  and, 


CERRO  GORDO.  225 

neutralizing  all  opposition  at  La  Hoya,  Perote,  and  Puebla,  strong 
places  for  resistance,  filled  with  valuable  military  stores  and  muni 
tions,  opening  the  way  to  the  capital  of  the  country  to  the  vic 
torious  march  of  the  commanding  General  of  our  army,  and  giving 
him  time  to  gather  and  organize  the  scanty  reinforcements  sent  to 
him  preparatory  to  the  crowning  victories,  toilsomely  but  -gloriously 
won,  at  Contreras,  Churubusco,  Chapultepec,  and  the  causeway. 

In  giving  this  rapid  and  imperfect  sketch  of  this  great  and  signal 
battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  the  writer  has  felt  very  sensibly  his  own 
want  of  military  knowledge.  One  consoling  reflection,  however,  is, 
that  while  he  could  not  (without  making  his  account  an  army  list), 
name  every  gallant  participant  in  the  struggle,  or  give  every  detailed 
movement,  yet  he  has  honestly  and  carefully  striven  to  keep  to  the 
record  of  the  various  deeds  of  bold  enterprise  and  gallant  bearing 
of  those  who  bore  a  part  in  the  fray.  The  reader  who  wishes  to 
form  a  military  judgment  of  the  action,  and  know  who  fought  and 
fell  there,  must  turn  to  the  masterly  letters  of  Scott,  with  the  able 
reports  of  those  of  his  brave  lieutenants  who  carried  out  so  faith 
fully  the  prophetic  orders  of  their  noble  captain. 

The  following  list  of  officers,  though  necessarily  confined  to  those 
who  were  in  the  Valley  battles,  will  show  to  the  reader  the  names  of 
many  who,  in  those  memorable  fights,  only  added  increased  lustre 
to  their  honours  won  at  Cerro  Gordo. 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS 

OF   THE   U.  S.  ARMY  AND  VOLUNTEERS, 

WHO  WERE  ENGAGED  IN  THE  BATTLES  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  MEXICO, 
UNDER  COMMAND  OF  MAJOR-GENERAL  WINFIELD  SCOTT, 

In  the  months  of  August  and  September,  1847. 


THE  notes  of  killed,  wounded,  &c.,  and  the  brevet  rank  of  all 
officers  engaged  in  that  service,  are  believed  to  be  perfectly  correct. 
In  some  cases,  where  no  brevet  is  mentioned,  the  officers  either  died 
or  left  the  service  before  they  were  conferred ;  in  a  few  instances 
they  were  declined.  Brevets  are  not  commonly  conferred  on  volun 
teer  officers,  although  their  services  are  admitted,  by  the  army  and 
the  nation,  to  have  been  in  the  highest  degree  meritorious  and  dis 
tinguished. 


GENERAL-IN-CHIEF  AND  STAFF. 

1.  Maj.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott, 

2.  Lt.  Col.  E.  A.  Hitchcock, 

3.  Capt.  H.  L.  Scott, 

4.  1st  Lt.  T.  Williams, 

5.  Br.  1st.  Lt.  G.  W.  Lay, 

6.  2d  Lt.  Schuyler  Hamilton, 

7.  Maj.  J.  P.  Gaines, 

ENGINEER  CORPS. 

1.  Maj.  J.  L.  Smith, 

2.  Capt.  R.  E.  Lee, 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


Commanding  the  army. 
Colonel.     Acting  Inspector-General. 
Lt.  Col.      A.  D.  C.,  and  Chief  Adj.  Gen's 

Dep. 

Major.       A.  D.  C. 
Captain.     Military  Secretary. 

"  A.  D.  C.    Badly  wounded,  Mira 

Flores,  Aug.  18th,  1847. 
Volunteer  A.  D.  C. 


Colonel.     Chief  Engineer. 

"          Wounded  at  Chapultepec,  Sept. 
13. 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS. 


227 


ENGINEER  CORPS. 

3.  Capt.  Jas.  L.  Mason, 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


Lt.  Col. 

4.  Lt.  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard,          Major. 

5.  "    Isaac  J.  Stevens,  " 


Z.  B.  Tower, 

G.  W.  Smith, 
J.  G,  Foster, 


9.    «    G.  B.  M'Clellan, 

ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT. 

1.  Capt.  Benj.  Huger, 

2.  1st  Lt.  P.  V.  Hagner, 

3.  2d  Lt.  C.  P.  Stone, 

TOPOGRAPHICAL  ENGINEERS. 

1.  Maj.  Wm.  Turnbull, 

2.  Capt.  J.  M'Clellan, 

3.  2d  Lt.  Geo.  Thorn. 

4.  Br.  2d  Lt.  E.  L.  F.  Hardcastle, 

QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT. 
1.  Capt.  J.  R.  Irwin, 


2. 

« 

A.  C.  Myers, 

3. 

a 

Robert  Allen, 

4. 

u 

H.  C.  Wayne, 

5. 

ii 

J.  M'Kinstry, 

6. 

« 

G.  W.  F.  Wood, 

7. 

a 

Jos.  Daniels, 

8. 

(i 

O'Hara, 

9. 

t'i 

M'Gowan, 

Captain. 


Colonel. 

Major. 

Captain. 

Colonel. 
Lt.  Col. 
Captain. 


Major. 


SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT. 

1.  Capt.  J.  B.  Grayson, 


Lt.  Col. 


REMARKS. 

Wounded  severely,  Molino  del 

Rey,  Sept.  8. 
Wounded  at  Belen  Gate,  Sept. 

13. 
Wounded  at  San  Cosme,  Sept. 

13. 
Wounded  at  Chapultepec,  Sept. 

13. 

Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey, 

Sept.  8. 


Chief  of  Ordnance  Department. 


Chief  of  Top.  Engineers.  Served 

with  Gen.  in  chief. 
Served  with  Twiggs'  Division. 

"         "     Worth's         " 


Chief  of  Q.  M.  D.     Served  with 
Gen.  in  Chief.  Died  in  Mexico. 

Served  with  Worth's  Division. 
"         "      Twiggs'        " 

Ass't  to  Chief  Quartermaster. 

Commanded  a  company  of  vo 
lunteers  at  Churubusco. 

Served  with  Harney's  Brigade. 

Q.  M.  Quitman's  Division. 
"      Pillow's  " 


Chief  Subsistence  Department. 
Served  with  Gen.  in  chief. 


2. 


T.  P.  Randle. 


228 


APPENDIX. 


PAY  DEPARTMENT. 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


1.  Maj.  E.  Kirby, 

2.  "A.  Van  Buren, 

3.  "A.  W.  Burns. 

4.  "A.  G.  Bennett, 

MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT. 

1.  Surg.  Gen.  Thos.  Lawson, 

2.  Surgeon  B.  F.  Harney. 

3.  "        R.  S.  Satterlee, 

4.  "        C.  S.  Tripler, 

5.  "        Burton  Randall, 

6.  «        J.  J.  B.  Wright, 

7.  "        J.  M.  Guyler, 

8.  Asst.  Surg.  A.  F.  Suter, 

9.  "         "      Jos.  Simpson, 

10.  "         "      W.  C.  De  Leon, 

11.  "        ,"      H.  H.  Steiner, 

12.  "         "      J.  Simons, 


13.  "         "      J.  K.  Barnes, 

14.  «         »  '  L.  H.  Holden, 

15.  "         "      C.  C.  Keemy, 

16.  "         «      J.  F.  Head, 

17.  "         "     J.  F.  Hammond, 

18.  "         "     J.  M.  Steiner, 

19.  "         "      C.  P.  Deyerle, 

20.  "         "     E.  Swift, 

21.  Surgeon  J.  M.  Tyler, 

22.  «        M'Millan, 

23.  Surgeon  C.  J.  Clark, 

24.  "        M.  B.  Halstead, 

25.  Asst.  Surg.  R.  Hagan, 

26.  "  "    H.L.Wheaton, 

27.  Surgeon  R.  Ritchie, 

28.  "         J.  Barry, 

29.  «        D.   S.   Edwards,  U.  S.  N., 

30.  «        L.  W.  Jordan, 


Colonel.     Chief  Pay  Department.    Served 

with  Gen.  in  chief. 
Lt.  Col. 


Br.  Gen.     Served  with  Gen.  in  chief. 

Chief  Surgeon,  Worth's  Div. 

«  «          Twiggs'    " 

Attached  to  7th  Infantry. 
Medical  Purveyor. 
Attached  to  4th  Artillery. 

"  Rifle  regiment. 

11  6th  Infantry. 

"  8th         " 

"  1st  Artillery. 

"  4th  Infantry. 

Wounded  Sept.  8. 

"  Cavalry. 

"  3d  Artillery. 

"  3d  Infantry. 

"  Taylor's  Battery. 

"  2d  Infantry. 

"  Magruder's  Bat'y. 

"  2d  Artillery. 

"  1st  Dragoons. 

"  Voltigeurs. 

«'  2d  Pa.  Volunteers. 

"  S.  C.  Volunteers. 

'«  N.  Y.  Volunteers. 

"  14th  Infantry. 

"  Pillow's  Division. 


Chief  Surg.  of  Quitman's  Div. 
Attached  to  14th  Infantry. 


LIST    OF   OFFICERS. 


229 


MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT. 

31.  Passed  Asst.  Surg.  Richard 

M'Sherry,  U.  S.  N., 

32.  Surgeon  W.  Roberts, 


CAVALRY  BRIGADE. 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


Acting  Surgeon  of  Marines. 
Attached  to  5th  Infantry,  mor 
tally  wounded,  Sept.  8. 


1.  Col.  W.  S.  Harney,  2d  D.,        Br.  Gen.    Commanding  Cavalry. 

2.  1st  Lt.  Wm.  Steele,     "  Captain.    A.  A.  A.  G. 

3.  2dLt.  Julian  May,  M.  Rifles,     1st  Lt.       Aid-de-Camp. 


FIRST  DRAGOONS. 

1.  Capt.  P.  Kearney,  Com.  IstD.,  Major. 


2.  1st  Lt.  R.  S.  Ewell, 

3.  2d  Lt.  Orren  Chapman, 

4.  "       L.  Graham, 

SECOND  DRAGOONS. 

1.  Maj.  E.  V.  Sumner, 

2.  Capt.  Geo.  A.  H.  Blake, 

3.  "  Croghan  Ker, 

4.  "  S.  B.  Thornton, 

5.  "  W..J.  Hardee, 

6.  "  H.  W.  Merrill, 

7.  "  H.  H.  Sibley, 

8.  2d  Lt.  R.  H.  Anderson, 

9.  "       J.  Y.  Bicknell. 

10.  «      J.  M.  Hawes, 

11.  "       T.  F.  Castor. 

12.  "       Arthur  D.  Tree, 


13. 
14. 


"       James  Oakes, 
"       W.  D.  Smith. 


Captain. 
1st  Lt. 
Captain. 


Colonel. 
Major. 


Lt.  Col. 
Major. 
Major. 
1st  Lt. 

let  Lt. 

1st  Lt. 
Captain. 


Wounded  at  San  Antonio  Gate, 
August  20. 


Commanding. 

Wounded  severely,  Sept.  8. 
Killed,  San  Antdhio,  Aug.  18. 


Wounded  at   Molino  del  Rey, 
Sept.  8. 


THIRD  DRAGOONS. 

1.  Lt.  Col.  Thos.  P.  Moore, 

2.  Capt.  E.  B.  Gaither. 

3.  "      A.  M.  Duperu. 


20 


Commanding  Regiment. 


230 


APPENDIX. 


THIRD  DRAGOONS. 

4.  Capt.  A.  T.  M' Reynolds. 

5.  1st  Lt.  Geo.  J.  Adde. 

6.  "       J.  A.  Divver. 

7.  "       Geo.  E.  Maney. 

8.  "       J.  T.  Brown. 

9.  2d  Lt.  J.  C.  D.  Williams, 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


Major. 


REMARKS. 

Wounded  at  San  Antonio  Gate, 
Aug.  20. 


Wounded  at  Molino  del  Key. 


10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 


W.  C.  Wagley. 
Francis  Henry. 
W.  Merrihew. 
Wm.  Blood. 
W.  G.  Mosely. 


MOUNTED  RIFLEMEN. 

1.  Capt.  Chs.  F.  Ruff, 

2.  1st  Lt.  And.  J.  Lindsay, 

3.  "       Jno.  G.  Walker, 

4.  2d  Lt.  Geo.  H.  Gordon, 

FIRST  DIVISION  REGULARS. 


Major.       f. 

Captain. 

Captain.    Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey. 

1st  Lt. 


GARLAND'S  AND  CLARKE'S  BRIGADES. 

1.  Bt.  Maj.  Gen.  W.  J.  Worth, 

2.  Bt.  Capt.  W.  W.  Mackall, 

3.  "       "      J.  C.  Pemberton, 

4.  Bt.  1st  Lt.  L.  B.  Wood, 
6.  Maj.  Borland,  Ark.  Vol. 

6.  Lt.  Raphael  Semmes,  U.  S.  N. 

GARLAND'S  BRIGADE. 


Commanding  Division. 
Major.       A.  A.  G. 
Major.       Aide-de-camp. 
Captain.    Aide-de-camp. 

Vol.  Aide-de-camp. 

Vol.  Aide-de-camp. 


SECOND  AND  THIRD  ARTILLERY  AND 
FOURTH   INFANTRY. 

1.  Bt.  Col.  Jno.  Garland,  4th  I.,     Br.  Gen. 

2.  Bt.  Capt.  W.  A.  Nichols,          Major. 

3.  2d  Lt.  Herman  Thorn,  Captain. 


CLARKE'S  BRIGADE. 

1.  Col.  N.  S.  Clarke,  6th  Inf. 

2.  2d  Lt.  R.  W.  Kirkham, 

3.  "       W.  T.  Burwell, 


Br.  Gen. 
Captain. 


Commanding  Brigade. 
A.  A.  A.  G. 

Aide-de-camp,  wounded   at 
Molino  del  Rey. 

Commanding  Brigade. 
A.  A.  A.  G. 

Aide-de-Camp.    Killed  at  Mo 
lino  del  Rey. 


LIST   OF    OFFICERS. 


231 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK 


SECOND  ARTILLERY. 

Major  P.  H.  Gait,  Lt.  Col. 

Capt.  S.  M'Kcnzie, 
"      and  Bt.  Lt.  Col.  C.  F. 

Smith,  Colonel. 

Capt.    and   Bt.    Lt.    Col.    J. 

Duncan,  Col.,  Ins. 


Captain  H.  Brooks,  Lt.  Col. 
1st  Lt.  M.  L.  Shackelford, 

"       C.  B.  Daniels, 

"       L.  G.  Arnold,  Captain. 

"       F.  Woodbridge,  Major. 

"       J.  Sedgwick,  Captain. 

"       A.  Elzey,  " 
"       Wm.  B.  Blair. 

"       Henry  J.  Hunt,  Major. 

"       Wm.  Hays,  " 
"       Wm.  Armstrong, 

"       H.  A.  Allen,  Captain. 

"       S.  S.  Anderson,  " 

"       John  J.  Peck,  Major. 

2d  Lt.  H.  F.  Clarke,  Captain. 

«       M.  D.  L.  Simpson,  " 

THIRD  ARTILLERY. 

1.  Colonel  F.  S.  Belton,  Colonel. 

2.  Captain  Martin  Burke,  Lt.  CoL 

3.  Brevet  Major  R.  D.  A.  Wade,         " 

4.  Captain  Robert  Anderson,  Major. 

5.  "       E.  J.  Steptoe,  Lt.  Col. 


5. 


7. 


9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 


REMARKS. 

Commanding  regiment. 
Com'd  of  Stormers,  Sept.  13. 

Commanded  L.  Inf.  Battalion. 

Gen., 

Commanded  Battery,  &c.,  Ar 
tillery,  Sept.  12,  13,  14. 

Commanded  reg't,  Sept.  13. 

Mortally  wounded  at  Molino 
del  Key. 

Mortally  wounded  at  Molino 
del  Rey. 

Wounded  at  Churubusco. 


Killed  at  Molino  del  Rey. 


With  Stormers,  1st  Division. 


Wounded  at  Churubusco. 

"          "  Molino  del  Rey. 
Commanding    Light    Battery, 
Quitman's  Division. 


6.  1st  Lt.  and  Adjt.  Wm.  Austine,    Major. 

7.  "      Henry  B.  Judd,  Captain. 

8.  Brevet  Capt.  Geo.  W.  Ayres, 

9.  1st  Lt.  R.  W.  Johnson. 

10.  "       H.  Brown,  " 

11.  "       Francis  J.  Thomas. 


Killed  at  Molino  del  Rey 


232 


APPENDIX. 


PRESENT 

THIRD  ARTILLERY.            BREVET  RANK. 

12.  2d  Lt. 

Jas.  I.  Farry, 

I 

13.       « 

Louis  D.  Welch. 

14.      « 

Geo.  P.  Andrews, 

Captain. 

15.      « 

Hamilton  Shields, 

« 

16.      " 

Jno.  H.  Lendrum, 

1st  Lt. 

FOURTH  INFANTRY. 

1.  Major 

Francis  Lee, 

Colonel.     ( 

2.  Brev. 

Maj.  R.  C.  Buchanan, 

Lt.  Col. 

3.  1st  Lt 

.  Henry  Prince, 

Major.      •£ 

4.         " 

Jno.  H.  Gore, 

Captain. 

5. 

Sidney  Smith, 

a 

6.         " 

G.  0.  Haller, 

Major.       1 

7. 

Jenks  Beam  an, 

8.  2d  Lt. 

U.  S.  Grant, 

1st  Lt. 

9.      « 

H.  M.  Judah, 

Captain. 

10.      " 

A.  B.  Lincoln, 

1st  Lt.    .  T 

11.      " 

T.  J.  Montgomery. 

12.      " 

A.  P.  Rogers, 

E 

13.      « 

D,  F.  Jones, 

.  1st  Lt. 

14.      " 

M.  Maloney, 

Captain.    T 

15.      " 

T.  R.  M'Connell, 

1st  Lt. 

16.     ~" 

Edmund  Russell, 

a 

REMARKS. 

Killed  at  Molino  del  Key. 


Commanding  Regiment. 

Severely  wounded   at   Molino 
del  Key. 

Mortally  wounded   in   City  of 

Mexico,  Sept.  14. 
With  Stormers,  Sept.  8. 


Wounded  at  Molino  del  Key. 
Killed  at  Chapultepec. 

With  Stormers  at  Mol.  del  Rey. 
"          at  Chapultepec. 


FIFTH  INFANTRY. 

1.  Brev.  Col.  I.  S.  M'Intosh, 

2.  Brev.  Lt.  Col.  Martin  Scott, 

3.  Captain  M.  E.  Merrill, 

4.  "       E.  K.  Smith, 


5. 


Wm.  Chapman, 


6.  "       Daniel  Ruggles, 

7.  "       D.  H.  M'Phail, 

8.  1st  Lt.  N.  B.  Rossell, 

9.  "       S.  H.  Fowler, 


Mortally  wounded  at  Molino 

del  Rey. 
Killed  at  Molino  del  Rey. 

Mortally  wounded  at  Molino 

del  Rey. 
Lt.  Col.      Commanding   Regiment    after 

death  of  superior  officers. 
" 
Major. 

Captain. 


LIST    OF    OFFICERS. 


233 


PRESENT 

FIFTH  INFANTRY.                BREVET  RANK.                       REMARKS. 

10. 

1st  Lt.  P.  Lugenbeel, 

Major. 

Slightly  wounded. 

11. 

"       M.  Rosencrants, 

Captain. 

12. 

"       C.  S.  Hamilton, 

Captain. 

Severely   wounded   at   Molino 

del  Rey. 

13. 

2d  Lt.  F.  S.  Dent, 

1st  Lt. 

Severely  wounded  at  Molino 

del  Rey. 

14. 

"       E.  B.  Strong, 

Killed  at  Molino  del  Rey. 

16. 

"       J.  P.  Smith, 

"         Chapultepec. 

16. 

"      P.  Farrelly, 

" 

Severely  wounded  at  Churu- 

busco. 

SIXTH  INFANTRY. 

'    > 

1. 

Major  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville, 

Lt.  Col. 

Commanding  regiment. 

2 

Captain  Wm.  Hoffman, 

M 

3. 

"        Albemarle  Cady, 

Major. 

Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey. 

4. 

"        T.  L.  Alexander, 

" 

5. 

"       J.  B.  S.  Todd. 

6. 

W.  H.  T.  Walker, 

Lt.  Col. 

Severely  wounded  at  Molino 

del  Rey. 

7. 

C.  S.  Lovell. 

8. 

1st  Lt.  E.  Johnson, 

Captain. 

0. 

"        T.  Hendrickson, 

n 

Severely  wounded  at  Churu- 

busco. 

10. 

"       L.  A.  Armistead, 

Major. 

Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 

11. 

"       Leonidas  Wetmore, 

Captain. 

12. 

"       John  D.  Bacon, 

Mortally  wounded  at  Churu- 

busco. 

13. 

\  "       A.  Morrow, 

« 

14. 

2d  Lt.  A.  D.  Nelson. 

15. 

"       R.  F.  Ernst, 

Mortally  wounded  at  Molino 

del  Rey. 

16. 

"       R.  W.  Kirkham, 

tt 

17. 

"       E.  Howe, 

1st  Lt. 

18. 

"       L.  B.  Buckner, 

M 

19. 

"       W.  S.  Hancock, 

" 

EIGHTH  INFANTRY. 

1. 

Major  C.  A.  Waite, 

Colonel. 

Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey. 

2. 

Brevet  Major  George  Wrigh 

t,          " 

Wounded  commanding  storm- 

ers,  Sept.  8. 


20* 


234 


APPENDIX. 


EIGHTH  INFANTRY. 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


3.  Captain  and  Brevet  Major  W. 

R.  Montgomery, 

4.  Captain  R.  B.  Screven, 

5.  "  J.  V.  Bomford, 

6.  "  J.  V.  D.  Reeve, 

7.  "  C.  R.  Gates, 

8.  "  Larkin  Smith, 

9.  1st  Lt.  Joseph  Selden, 
10.       "       J.  G.  Burbank, 


11. 
12. 


Jno.  Beardsley, 
C.  F.  Morris, 


13.  «       J.  D.  Clarke, 

14.  "       J.  Longstreet, 

15.  2d  Lt.  E.  B.  -Hollo-way, 


16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 


C.  G.  Merchant, 
Geo.  Wainwright, 
J.  G.  S.  Snelling, 
T.  G.  Pitcher, 
G.  E.  Pickett, 


Lt.  Col.     Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey, 
Sept.  8. 


Major. 

"  Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey. 

"  "  Chapultepec. 

Mortally  wounded  at  Molino 

del  Rey. 

Captain,    Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey. 
Mortally  wounded  at  Molino 

del  Rey. 

"          Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey. 
Major,  "  Chapultepec. 

1st  Lt.  "  Churubusco. 

ji 

"  "    .        Molino  del  Rey. 


SECOND  DIVISION  REGULARS. 
SMITH'S  AND  RILEY'S  BRIGADES. 

1.  Brig.  Gen.  D.  E.  Twiggs,  Maj.  Gen. 

2.  1st  Lt.  W.  H.  T.  Brooks,  Major. 

3.  "       P.  W.  M' Donald,  Captain. 

SMITH'S  BRIGADE. 

MOUNTED  RIFLES,  FIRST  ARTILLERY, 
AND  THIRD  INFANTRY. 

1.  Brev.  Brig.  Gen.  P.  F.  Smith,  Maj.  Gen. 

2.  1st  Lt.  Earl  Van  Dorn,   7th 

Infantry,  Major. 

FOURTH  ARTILLERY,  SECOND  INFANTRY, 

AND  SEVENTH  INFANTRY. 

RILEY'S  BRIGADE. 

1.  Brevet  Colonel  B.  Riley,  Brig.  Gen. 

2.  Brevet  Capt.  E.  R.  S.  Canby,      Major. 

3.  1st  Lt.  Julius  Hayden.  Captain. 


Commanding  Brigade, 
A.  A.  A.  G. 


Commanding  Brigade. 
A.  A.  G. 
Aide-de-camp. 


LIST   OF   OFFICERS. 


235 


PRESENT 

REQ'T  OF  MOUNTED  RIFLEMEN.     BREVET  RANK.                REMARKS. 

1. 

Major  W.  W.  Loring, 

Colonel. 

Severely  wounded   at  Garita 

de  Belen. 

2. 

Captain  W.  F.  Sanderson, 

Major. 

3. 

"       Henry  C.  Pope. 

4. 

"       Geo.  B.  Crittenden. 

5. 

"       Jno.  B.  Simonson, 

« 

6. 

"       J.  B.  Backenstoss, 

Lt.  Col. 

7. 

"       S.  S.  Tucker, 

Major. 

•'  •<'        '  r              " 

8. 

"       B.  S.  Roberts, 

Lt.  Col. 

9. 

"       Andrew  Porter, 

" 

10. 

1st  Lt.  M.  E.  Van  Buren, 

Captain. 

Severely  wounded  at  Con- 

•- 

treras. 

11. 

"•       Llewellyn  Jones. 

12. 

1st  Lt.  Noah  Newton. 

13. 

2d  Lt.  Geo.  M'Lane, 

Captain. 

14. 

•"      R.  M.  Morris, 

M 

15. 

"      F.  S.  K.  Russell, 

1st  Lt. 

Wounded  September  13. 

16. 

"      D.  M.  Frost, 

" 

17. 

"      Jno.  P.  Hatch, 

Captain. 

18. 

"      Gordon  Granger, 

«< 

19. 

"      J.  N.  Palmer, 

1st  Lt. 

Wounded  near  Chapultepec. 

20. 

"      James  Stuart, 

Captain. 

21. 

"      Alfred  Gibbs, 

1st  Lt. 

FIRST  ARTILLERY. 

1. 

Brevet  Major  J.  Dimick, 

Colonel. 

Commanding  Regiment. 

2. 

Captain  Geo.  Nauman, 

Lt.  Col. 

3. 

"       Francis  Taylor, 

a 

Commanding    Light    Battery, 

Twiggs'  Division. 

4. 

"       Jno.  H.  Winder, 

Major. 

5. 

"       Jno.  B.  Magruder, 

Lt.  Col. 

Commanding    Light    Battery, 

Pillow's  Division. 

6. 

"       E.  A.  Capron, 

Killed  at  Churubusco. 

7. 

"       M.  J.  Burke, 

tt.                    it 

8. 

"       Jno.  S.  Hatheway, 

Major. 

9. 

1st  Lt.  Wm.  H.  French, 

M 

236 


APPENDIX. 


FIKST  ARTILLERY. 

10.  1st  Lt.  J.  N.  Haskin, 

11.  "  H.  D.  Graf  ton, 

12.  "  S.  K.  Dawson, 

13.  "  J.  G.  Martin, 

14.  "  J.  M.  Brannan, 

15.  2d  Lt.  Henry  Coffee, 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


16.      "      E.  C.  Boynton, 

H 

17.      "      Thos.  I.  Jackson, 

ft 

18.       "      Truman  Seymour, 

f| 

19.      "      S.  Hoffman, 

20.      "      Jno.  B.  Gibson, 

1st  Lt. 

21.       "      J.  P.  Johnston, 

THIRD  INFANTRY. 

1.  Captain  E.  B.  Alexander, 

Lt.  Col. 

2.         "       J.  Van  Home, 

Major. 

3.         "       Lewis  S.  Craig, 

Lt.  Col. 

4.         "       J.  M.  Smith. 

5.         "       W.  H.  Gordon. 

6.         "       Daniel  T.  Chandler, 

Lt.  Col. 

7.         "       Stephen  D.  Dobbins, 

8.  1st  Lt.  0.  L.  Sheppard, 

Major. 

9.       "      W.  B.  Johns, 

Captain. 

10.       "      D.  C,  Buell, 

Major. 

11.       "      J.  B.  Richardson, 

a 

12.       "      A.  W.  Bowman, 

Captain. 

13.  2d  Lt.  Henry  B.  Shroeder, 

1st  Lt. 

14.       "      Barnard  E.  Bee, 

Captain. 

15.       "       Henry  B.  Glitz, 

1st  Lt. 

16.       "      W.  H.  Wood. 

17.       "      J.  D.  Wilkins, 

«« 

18.       "      J.  N.  G.  Whistler, 

<« 

19.       "      M.  O'Sullivan. 

20.       "      Geo-  Sykes, 

Captain. 

Major.       Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 
Captain. 

a 

Major.      Wounded  at  Churubusco. 
Captain.    Wounded  near  Chapultepec. 


Wounded  at  Churubusco. 


Killed  at  Churubusco. 


Killed  at  Contreras. 


Commanding  Regiment. 

Severely   •wounded   at  Churu 
busco. 


With  Stormersat  Chapultepec 


Severely  wounded   at  Churu 
busco. 


Stormers  at  Chapultepec. 


FOURTH  ARTILLERY. 

1.  Major  Jno.  L.  Gardner, 

2.  Brevet  Major  H.  Brown. 


Colonel.    Commanding  Regiment. 
xLt.  Col. 


LIST    OF    OFFICERS. 


237 


FOURTH  ARTILLERY. 

3.  Captain  S.  H.  Drum, 

4.  "       S.  C.  Ridgely, 

5.  1st  Lt.  Jno.  W.  Phelps, 

6.  "  J.  N.  M.  Cown, 

7.  "  G.  W.  Getty, 

8.  «  A.  P.  Howe, 

9.  "  C.  Benjamin, 

10.  "      D.  H.  Hill, 

11.  "      F.  J.  Porter, 

12.  2d  Lt.  F.  Collins, 

13.  "       A.  L.  Magilton, 

14.  "       G.  A.  De  Russy, 

15.  "       S.  L.  Gouverneur, 

SJ3COND  INFANTRY. 

1.  Captain  T.  Morris, 

2.  "       J.  J.  B.  Kingsbury, 

3.  "       J.  R.  Smith, 

4.  «       Silas  Casey, 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


Jas.  W.  Penrose, 
H.  W.  Wessells, 
Jas.  W.  Anderson, 


8.  1st  Lt.  C.  S.  Lovell, 

9.  "      D.  Davidson, 

10.  "      Geo.  C.  Wescott, 

11.  "      B.  P.  Tilden. 

12.  "      N.  Lyon, 

13.  2d  Lt.  J.  W.  Schureman, 


14. 

15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 


C.  E.  Jarvis, 
David  R.  Jones. 
Frederick  Steele, 
Thos.  Early, 
Nelson  H.  Davis, 
Wm.  M.  Gardner, 


Killed  at  Garita  de  Belen. 


Major. 
Captain. 


Killed  at  Belen  Garita. 
Major. 

"  Wounded  Sept.  13,  at  Belen. 

1st  Lt.  "         at  Contreras. 

u 

"  Withstormers  at  Chapultepec- 


Lt.  Col.      Commanding  2d  Infantry. 

Major. 

Lt.  Col. 

"  Severely  wounded  Sept.  13th, 

with  stormers. 
Major. 

"  Wounded  at  Contreras. 

-Mortally  wounded   at  Churu- 

busco. 
Captain.    Wounded  at  Churubusco. 

"          Wounded  Aug.  19.  With  storm 
ers  Sept.  13. 

Captain.    Wounded  in  City  of  Mexico. 
1st  Lt. 


Captain.    With  stormers  Sept.  13. 

Killed  at  Churubusco. 
1st  Lt. 

"          Severely  wounded   at   Churu 
busco. 


238 


APPENDIX. 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


SEVENTH  INFANTRY. 

1.  Lt.  Col.  I.  Plympton,       ,..• 

2.  Maj.  A.  Bainbridge, 

3.  Captain  R.  H.  Ross, 

4.  "       G.  R.  Paul, 

5.  *'       Charles  Hanson, 

6.  "       J.  G.  Henshaw, 

7.  1st  Lt.  Henry  Little, 

8.  "      C.  H.  Humber, 

9.  "      Levi  Gantt, 

10.  "       S.  B.  Hayman. 

11.  2d  Lt.  F.  Gardner, 

12.  "  W.  K.  Van  Bokkelen, 

13.  "  Ed.  E.  Smith, 

14.  "  W.  H.  Tyler, 

15.  "  S.  B.  Maxey, 

16.  "  T.  Henry, 


THIRD  DIVISION  REGULARS. 

PIERCE' s  AND  CADWALADER'S  BRIGADES. 


REMARKS. 


Colonel.     Commanding  Regiment, 
Lt.  Col. 

"          Severely  wounded  at  Contreras. 
Major.       With  Stormers. 

Mortally  wounded  atContreras. 


Captain. 


Captain. 
1st  Lt. 
Captain. 
1st  Lt. 


Severely   wounded   at    Churu- 

busco. 
Killed  at  Chapultepec. 


1.  Maj.  Gen.  G.  J.  Pillow. 

2.  Brevet  Captain  J.  Hooker, 

3.  1st  Lt.  G.  W.  Rains, 

4.  "      R.  S.  Ripley, 

5.  P.  Mid.  R.  C.  Rogers,  U.  S.  N. 

PIERCE' s  BRIGADE. 

NINTH,  TWELFTH,  AND  FIFTEENTH 
INFANTRY.  > 

1.  Brig.  Gen.  Franklin  Pierce, 

2.  Captain  0.  F.  Winship, 

3.  1st  Lt.  E.  H.  Fitzgerald, 


Commanding  Div.    Wounded  at 

Chapultepec. 
Lt.  Col.     A.  A.  G. 
Captain.    Aide-de-camp. 
Major.       Aide-de-camp. 

Vol.  Aide-de-camp. 


Commanding  Brigade 
Major.      A.  A.  G. 
"  Aide-de-camp. 


CADWALADER'S  BRIGADE. 

1.  Brig.  Gen.  Geo.  Cadwalader,    Maj.  G«n.  Commanding  Brigade. 

2.  Brevet  Capt.  Geo.  Deas,  Major.       A.  A.  G. 

3.  1st  Lt.  J.  F.  Irons.  Mortally  wounded  at  Churu- 

busco. 


LIST    OF    OFFICERS. 


239 


NINTH  INFANTRY. 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


1.  Colonel  T.  B.  Ransom, 

2.  Maj.  T.  H.  Seymour, 

3.  Captain  J.  S.  Pitman. 

4.  «       E.  A.  Kimball, 

5.  »     "       N.  S.  Webb, 

6.  «       C.  N.  Bodfish, 

7.  "       J.  W.  Thompson. 

8.  1st  Lt.  Jno.  S.  Slocum, 

9.  "      and  Adj.  J.  C.  Spr ague, 

10.  "      Geo.  Bowers, 

11.  "      J.  H.  Jackson, 

12.  "      Albert  Tracy, 

13.  "      J.  M.  Hathaway, 

14.  2d  Lt.  A.  A.  Stoddard, 

15.  »      T.  P.  Pierce, 

16.  2d  Lt.  T.  H.  Crosby, 

17.  "       A.  T.  Palmer, 

18.  «       R.  C.  Drum. 

19.  «       John  Glackin, 

20.  "       Levi  Woodhouse, 

21.  "       W.  A.  Newman, 

22.  "       John  McNabb. 

TWELFTH  INFANTRY. 

1.  Lt.  Col.  M.  L.  Bonham. 

2.  Captain  W.  B.  Holden, 

3.  «        Allen  Wood, 

4.  «         J.  W.  Denver. 

5.  1st.  Lt.  Charles  Taplin, 

6.  «       J.  H.  H.  Felch. 

7.  "       W.  B.  Giles, 

8.  "       John  L.  Simpkins, 

9.  2d  Lt.  Henry  Almstedt. 

10.  «       W.  A.  Linn. 

11.  "       A.  E.  Steen, 

12.  "       J.  M.  Bronaugh, 

FIFTEENTH  INFANTRY. 

1.  Colonel  G.  W.  Morgan, 

2.  Lt.-Col.  Joshua  Howard, 


Killed  near  Chapultepec. 


Colonel. 


Major. 


Captain. 


1st  Lt. 


1st.  Lt. 


Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 


Wounded  at  Churubusco. 


Wounded  at  Churubusco. 


Major. 


Captain. 


1st  Lt. 


Brig.  Gen.,    Wounded  at  Churubusco. 
Colonel. 


240 


APPENDIX. 


FIFTEENTH  INFANTRY. 


Major  F.  D.  Miles, 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


Killed  at  San  Antonio  garita, 
August  20. 


.   4.      « 

Samuel  Woods,  Major 

6th  Infantry,               Lt.  Col. 

5.  Captain  E.  Vandeventer. 

6.       « 

Daniel  Chase,                Major. 

7.       « 

James  A.  Jones,               " 

8.       « 

E.  A.  King. 

9.       " 

Isaac  D.  Toll. 

10.       " 

Augustus  Quarles, 

11.       " 

M.  Hoagland,                   " 

12.  IstLt. 

G.  W.  Bowie,                      " 

13.       « 

Thomas  H.  Freelon,       Captain. 

14.       ". 

T.  F.  Broadhead,                  " 

15.       " 

D.  Upman. 

16.       " 

J.  B.  Miller. 

17.       « 

E.  L.  Marshall,                     " 

18.       « 

A.  G.  Sutton,                         " 

19.       " 

J.  B.  Goodman, 

20.  2d.  Lt. 

Daniel  French,                      " 

21.       " 

Charles  Peternell,                " 

22.       " 

J.  W.  Wiley,                   1st.  Lt. 

23.       " 

H.  M.  Cady. 

24.       " 

L.  E.  Beach,                        " 

25.       « 

F.  0.  Beckett,                     " 

26.       « 

Thomas  B.  Tilton. 

27.       " 

W.  H.  H.  Goodloe, 

28.       " 

L.  P.  Titus,                         " 

29.       « 

J.  R.  Bennett,                     " 

Mortally  wounded  at  Churu- 
busco. 


Killed  at  Churubusco. 


Wounded  at  Churubusco. 


ELEVENTH  INFANTRY. 

1.  Lt.  Col.  William  M.  Graham,  Killed  at  Molino  del  Key. 

2.  Major  J.  F.  Hunter,  Lt.  Col. 

3.  Captain  William  H.  Irwin,        Major,       Wounded  at  Molino  del  Hey. 

4.  "        0.  Waddell. 

5.  "        P.  M.  Guthrie,  "  "  "  " 

6.  "        Arnold  Syberg. 


7. 


Thomas  F.  M'Coy,        Captain. 


LIST    OF    OFFICERS. 


241 


ELEVENTH  INFANTRY. 

8.  1st  Lt.  Daniel  S.  Lee, 

9.  "       John  Motz, 

10.  "       C.  P.  Evans, 

11.  "       B.  F.  Harley, 

12.  2d  Lt.  G.  L.  M'Clelland. 

13.  "       A.  H.  Tippin, 

14.  «       W.  H.  Scott. 

15.  "       R.  H.  L.  Johnson, 

16.  «      M.  Stever. 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


Captain.   Wounded,  August  20. 

Major. 

Captain. 


1st.  Lt. 


Killed  at  Molino  del  Key. 


FOURTEENTH  INFANTRY. 

1.  Colonel  Wm.  Trousdale, 

2.  Lt.  Col.  P.  0.  Hebert, 

3.  Major  John  H.  Savage, 

4.  "      John  D.  Wood. 

5.  Captain  R.  G.  Beale. 

6.  "  P.  B.  Anderson. 

7.  "  E.  Bogardus. 

8.  "  Thomas  Glenn, 

9.  "  J.  M.  Scantland, 

10.  "       J.  P.  Breedlove. 

11.  "       J.  W.  Perkins. 

12.  "       C.  T.  Huddleston. 

13.  1st  Lt.  James  Blackburn, 

14.  "  Thomas  Shields, 

15.  "  H.  B.  Kelly. 

16.  "  R.  Humphreys. 

17.  "  Thomas  Smith. 

18.  "  N.  M'Clannahan. 

19.  "  A.  J.  M'Allon. 

20.  2d  Lt.  Richard  Steele, 

21.  "  B.  Davis, 

22.  «  W.  H.  Seawell. 

23.  «  R.  W.  Bedford. 

24.  "  Perrin  Watson. 

25.  "  A.  J.  Isaacs, 

26.  "  A.  J.  Hudson. 

27.  "  J.  C.  C.  Hays. 

28.  «  S.  T.  Love. 


Brig.  Gen.  Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 
Colonel. 

Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey. 


Major. 


Captain. 


Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 


Wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey. 


Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 


1st  Lt. 


1st  Lt. 


242 


APPENDIX. 


VOLTIGEURS. 


PRESENT 
BREVET  RANK. 


REMARKS. 


4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 


Colonel  T.  P.  Andrews,  Brig.  Gen.  Commanding  Regiment. 

Lt.  Col.  J.  E.  Johnston,  Lt. 

Colonel. 

Lt.  Col. 

"  Wounded  at  Molino  del  Key. 


Col.  Top.  Engineers, 
Major  G.  A.  Caldwell, 

"      G.  H.  Talcot, 
Captain  A.  P.  Churchill. 
"       0.  E.  Edwards, 
"       James  D.  Blair. 
"       Charles  J.  Biddle, 
"       John  E.  Howard, 
"        M.  J.  Barnard, 

J.  J.  Archer, 
1st  Lt.  B.  D.  Fry. 
"       James  Tilton. 
"       A.  H.  Cross. 
"       H.  C.  Longnecker. 

W.  8,  Walker. 
2d  Lt.  Charles  F.  Vernon. 
"       R.  C.  Forsyth, 
"       T.  D.  Coohran. 
"       Robert  Swan. 
"       George  R.  Kiger. 
"       G.  S.  Kintzing. 
"      William  J.  Martin, 
"       J.  H.  Smythe. 
"      James  R.  May. 
"       Edward  C.  Marvin. 
"       Robert  H.  Archer. 
"       Washington  Terrett. 
"       T.  H.  Lamed. 
"       James  E.  Slaughter. 


MOUNTAIN  HOWITZER  BATTERY. 

1.  1st  Lt.  F.  D.  Callender, 

2.  2d  Lt.  J.  L.  Reno, 

DIVISION  OP  VOLUNTEERS. 

SHIELDS'  BRIGADE  AND  SECOND 
PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

1.  Major-General  J.  A.  Quitman, 

2.  1st  Lt.  M.  Lovell, 

3.  2d  Lt.  C.  W.  Wilcox, 


Major. 


1st  Lt. 


1st  Lt. 


Captain.   Wounded  at  Contreras. 
Sept.  13. 


Commanding  Division. 
Captain.  A.  A.  A.  G. 
1st  Lt.      Aide-de-Camp. 


LIST    OF    OFFICERS. 


243 


PRESENT 

SHIELDS'  BRIGADE.         BREVET  RANK.  REMARKS. 

MARINES,  NEW  YORK  AND  SOUTH 
CAROLINA  VOLUNTEERS. 

1.  Brig.  Gen.  J.  Shields,  Maj.  Gen.    Comm'g  Brigade.    Wounded  at 

Chapultepec. 

2.  Brevet  Captain  F.  N.  Page,        Major.       A.  A.  G. 

3.  1st  Lt.  R.  P.  Hammond,  "  Aide-de-Camp. 

4.  "        G.  T.  M.  Davis,  Vol.  Aide-de-Camp. 


MARINE  CORPS.* 

1.  Lt.  Col.  S.  E.  Watson, 

2.  Major  Levi  Twiggs, 

3.  "      Win.  Dulany, 

4.  Captain  J.  G.  Reynolds, 

5.  "       G.  H:  Terre.tt, 

6.  1st  Lt.  D.  D.  Baker, 

7.  "       Jno.  S.  Devlin, 


8. 
9. 
10. 
11.  2d  Lt. 
12.       " 
13.       « 
14.      " 
15.      " 
16.      « 
17.      " 
18.       " 
19.       " 

R.  C.  Caldwell. 
W.  L.  Young, 
J.  C.  Rich. 
Jno.  D.  Simms, 
D.  J.  Sutherland, 
F.  Norvell, 
J.  S.  Nicholson, 
C.  G.  M'Cauley, 
Thomas  T.  Field, 
E.  M.  D.  Reynolds, 
Chs.  A.  Henderson, 
A.  S.  Nicholson, 

NEW  YORK  VOLUNTEERS. 

1.  Col.  Ward  B.  Burnett, 

2.  Lt.  Col.  Chs.  Baxter, 

3.  Major  J.  C.  Burnham. 


Lt.  Col. 
Major. 


Died  in  November. 
Killed  at  Chapultepec. 

Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 


Captain.    Wounded,  Sept.  13. 

Wounded   at    Chapultepec. 
Vol.  Aide-de-Camp. 

Captain. 


1st  Lt. 


Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 


Severely  wounded  at  Churu- 
busco. 

Mortally  wounded  at  Chapul 
tepec.  ' 


*  Officers  of  Marines  not  brevetted,  were  disbanded  by  law  at  the  expiration  of  the  war. 
They  have  since  been  reinstated.  Lieutenant  E.  T.  Shubrick,  U.  S.  N.,  accompanied  the 
Marines  on  the  march,  and  during  the  battles  acted  as  volunteer  aide-de-camp  to  General 
Shields. 


244 


APPENDIX. 


NEW  YORK  VOLUNTEERS. 


4.  Captain  C.  H.  S.  Shaw. 


REMARKS. 


5. 
6. 

7. 
8. 

"       James  Barclay. 
"       J.  P.  Taylor. 
"       D.  P.  Hungerford. 
M.  Fairchild. 

9. 
10. 

"       S.  S.  Gallagher. 
"       Chs.  H.  Pierson, 

11. 

12. 

"       Van  O'Linda, 
"       G.  Dykeman, 

13.  "       J.  F.  Button. 

14.  1st  Lt.  R.  A.  Carter. 

15.  "L  C.  H.  Sherwood. 

16.  "  A.  W.  Taylor. 

17.  "  C.  H.  Innis, 

18.  "  C.  H.  Gallagher. 

19.  "  Geo.  B.  Hall. 

20.  "  James  Miller. 

21.  «  J.  S.  M'Cabe, 

22.  2d  Lt.  Thos.  W.  Sweeny, 

23.  "  Chs.  D.  Potter, 

24.  "  Jacob  Griffin. 

25.  "  Addison  Farnsworth. 

26.  "  Mayne  Reid, 

27.  "  C.  B.  Brower. 

28.  "  Chs.  S.  Cooper, 

29.  "  J.  W.  Henry. 

30.  "  E.  Chandler, 

31.  "  F.  G.  Boyle. 

32.  "  Jno.  Rafferty. 

33.  "  David  Scannel. 

34.  "  J.  W.  Grennel. 

35.  "  Malahowsky. 

36.  "  Francis  Durning. 

37.  "  W.  H.  Browne. 

38.  "  F.  E.  Pinto. 


Mortally  wounded  at  Chapul- 

tepec. 

Killed  at  Chapultepcc. 
Severely  wounded  at  Churu- 
busco. 


Wounded  at  Belen. 


Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 
"  Churubusco. 


Wounded  at  Chapultepec. 
Wounded  at  Churubusco. 

Mortally  wounded  at  Churu 
busco. 


LIST    OF    OFFICERS. 


245 


SOUTH  CAROLINA  VOLUNTEERS. 

1.  Col.  P.  M.  Butler, 

2.  Lt.  Col.  J.  P.  Dickinson, 


3. 

Major  A.  H.  Gladden, 

4. 

Captain  F.  Sumter. 

5. 

"       R.  G.  M.  Dunovant. 

6. 

"       K.  S.  Moffat, 

7. 

J.  F.  Marshall. 

8. 

"       W.  Blanding. 

9. 

"      W.  D.  Desaussure. 

10. 

"       N.  J.  Walker. 

11. 

"       J.  F.  Williams. 

12. 

"       Adjutant  James  Canty, 

13. 

R.  Q.  M.  W.  B.  Stanley. 

14. 

A.  C.  S.  J.  D.  Blanding. 

15. 

1st  Lt.  C.  S.  Mellet. 

16. 

"       J.  F.  Walker. 

17. 

"       W.  C.  Moragne. 

18. 

"      J.  B.  Moragne, 

19. 

"       A.  Manegualt. 

20. 

"       J.  R.  Clark, 

21. 

"       A.  B.  0.  Bannon. 

22. 

"      C.  P.  Pope. 

23. 

2d  Lt.  T.  M.  Baker. 

24. 

"       S.  Sumter, 

25. 

"       W.  B.  Lilley. 

26. 

"       B.  W.  D.  Gulp. 

27. 

"       James  W.  Cantey, 

28. 

"       K.  G.  Billings, 

29. 

"       Jos.  Abney, 

30. 

"       David  Adams, 

31. 

"       L.  F.  Robertson. 

32. 

"       Ralph  Bell. 

33. 

"       J.  R.  Davis. 

34. 

"       J.  N.  Moye. 

35. 

"       J.  W.  Steen, 

36. 

"      M.  R.  Clark, 

REMARKS. 

Killed  at  Churubusco. 
Mortally  wounded  at  Churu 
busco. 
Wounded  at  Belen. 


Wounded  at  Churubusco. 


Wounded  at  Churubusco. 


Killed  at  Belen. 

Mortally  wounded  at  Churu 
busco.     ' 


Wounded  at  Churubusco. 


Killed  at  Chapultepec. 
Wounded  at  Churubusco. 

a          n          « 

Killed  at  Churubusco. 


Wounded  at  Belen. 

"  Chapultepec. 


246 


APPENDIX. 


SOUTH  CAROLINA  VOLUNTEERS. 

37.  2d  Lt.  Charles  Kirkland. 

38.  «      W.  R.  Williams, 

39.  "      J.  W.  Stewart. 

40.  "       F.  W.  Selleck, 


SECOND  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

1.  Colonel  W.  B.  Roberts, 

2.  Lt.-Col.  John  W.  Geary, 

3.  Major  William  Brindle. 

4.  Captain  Thomas  S.  Loeser. 


REMARKS. 


5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 


John  Humphries. 
Clarence  H.  Frick. 
Charles  Naylor. 
E.  C.  Williams. 
Robert  Porter. 
James  Murray. 
James  Miller, 
S.  M.  Taylor. 
James  Caldwell, 


14.  Adjutant  J.  S.  Waterbury. 

15.  R.  Q.  M.  E.  C.  L.  Clare. 

16.  A.  C.  S.  John  C.  Geven. 

17.  1st  Lt.  Hiram  Wolf. 

18.  "       Alexander  M'Kamey. 

19.  "       William  Wonders. 

20.  "      H.  A.  M.  Filbert. 

21.  "       Richard  M'Michael. 

22.  2d  Lt.  Samuel  Black. 

23.  "      Charles  H.  Heyer. 

24.  "      Charles  M'Dennitt. 

25.  "      James  Armstrong. 

26.  "      James  Coulter, 

27.  "      Isaac  Hare. 

28.  "      A.  L.  Tourison. 

29.  "      J.  D.  Unger. 

30.  "      H.  A.  Hambright. 


Killed  atChurubusco,  Aug.  20. 

Wounded   at  garita  of  Belin, 
September  13. 


Died  in  City  of  Mexico,  Oct.  3. 
Commanding  Regiment. 


Wounded. 

Mortally  wounded   at  Belen, 
September  13th. 


Wounded. 


LIST   OF    OFFICERS.  247 

SECOND  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS.  REMARKS. 

31.  2d  Lt.  William  Rankin. 

32.  "  James  Kane. 

33.  "  William  P.  Skelly. 

34.  «  L.  W.  Smith. 

35.  "  D.  N.  Hoffins. 

36.  "  J.  Keefe,  Wounded. 

37.  "  John  A.  Doyle. 

38.  "  Charles  Bowers,  Acted  as  Assistant  Surgeon. 


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2 


NOTICES  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS 

OF  THE 

COMPREHENSIVE    COMMENTARY. 

The  Publishers  select  the  following,  from  the  testimonials  they  have  received 

as  to  the  value  of  the  work  : — 

WE,  the  Subscribers,  having  examined  the  Comprehensive  Commentary,  issued 
from  the  press  of  Messrs.  L.  G.  &  Co.,  and  highly  approving  its  character, 
would  cheerfully  and  confidently  recommend  it  as  containing  more  matter 
and  more  advantages  than  any  other  with  which  we  are  acquainted;  and 
considering  the  expense  incurred,  and  the  excellent  manner  of  its  me 
chanical  execution,  we  believe  it  to  be  one  of  the  cheapest  works  ever  issued 
from  the  press.  We  hope  the  publishers  will  be  sustained  by  a  liberal  patron 
age,  in  their  expensive  and  useful  undertaking.  We  should  be  pleased  to 
learn  that  every  family  in  the  United  States  had  procured  a  copy. 
B.  B.  WISNER,  D.  D.,  Secretary  of  Am.  Board  of  Com.  for  For.  Missions. 
WM.  COGSWELL,  D.  D.,  "  "  Education  Society . 

JOHN  CODMAN,  D.D.,  Pastor  of  Congregational  Church,  Dorchester. 
Rev.  HUBBARD  WINSLOW,     '  "  "     BowdoinSt.      " 

Rev.  SEWALL  HARDING,  Pastor  of  T.  C.  Church,  Waltham. 
Rev.  J.  H.  FAIRCHILD,  Pastor  of  Cong.  Church,  South  Boston. 
GARDINER  SPRING,  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  Presb.  Church,  New  York  city. 
CYRUS  MASON,  D.  D., 
THOS.  McAULEY,  D.  D., 
JOHN  WOODBRIDGE,  D.  D., 
THOS.  DEWITT,  D.  D.,  «   -Dutch  Ref. 

E.  W.  BALDWIN,  D.  D., 
Rev.  J.  M.  McKREBS,  «  Presb. 

Rev.  ERSKINE  MASON, 
Rev.  J.  S.  SPENCER, 

EZRA  STILES  ELY,  D.  D.,  Stated  Clerk  of  Gen 
JOHN  McDOWELL,  D.  D.,  Permanent   "  ' 

JOHN  BRECKENRIDGE,  Cor.  Sec'y  of  Assembly  s  Board  of  Education. 
SAMUEL  B.  WYLIE,  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church. 
N.  LORD,  D.  D.,  President  of  Dartmouth  College. 


Brooklyn. 
Assem.  of  Presb.  Church. 


JOSHUA  BATES,  D.  D., 
H.  HUMPHREY,  D.  D.,  « 
E.  D.  GRIFFIN,  D.  D.,  " 
J.  WHEELER,  D.  D.,  « 
J.  M.  MATTHEWS,  D.D., 
GEO.  E.  PIERCE,  D.  D.,« 
Rev.  DR.  BROWN,  « 


Middlebury 

Amherst  " 

Williamstown  " 

University  of  Vermont,  at  Burlington. 

New  York  City  University. 

Western  Reserve  College,  Ohio. 

Jefferson  College,  Penn. 
LEONARD  WOODS,  D.  D.,  Prof,  of  Theology,  Andover  S. 
THOS.  H.  SKINNER,  D.  D.,   «         Sac.  Rhet.        « 
Rev.  RALPH  EMERSON,          «         Eccl.  Hist.       « 
Rev.  JOEL  PARKER,  Pastor  of  Presb.  Church,  New  Orleans. 
JOEL  HAWES,  D.  D.,        «         Cong-.        «        Hartford,  Conn. 
N.  S.  S.  BEAMAN,  D.  D.,   "        Presb.        "        Troy,  N.  Y. 
MARK  TUCKER,  D.  D.,    «  «  "  «         « 

Rev.  E.  N.  KIRK,  "  «  «      Albany,  " 

Rev.  B.  B.  EDWARDS,  Ed.  of  Quarterly  Observer. 
Rev.  STEPHEN  MASON,  Pastor  1st  Cong.  Church,  Nantucket. 
Rev.ORIN  FOWLER,  «  "  "          FallRiver. 

GEORGE  W.  BETHUNE,  D.D.,  Pastor  of  the  First  Reformed  Dutch  Church. 
Rev.  LYMAN  BEECHER,  D.  D.,  Cincinnati,  0. 
Rev.  C.  D.  MALLORY,  Pastor  Baptist  Church,  Augusta,  Ga. 
Rev.  S.  M.  NOEL,  "  "  "       Frankfort,  Ky. 

From  the  Professors  at  Princeton  Theological  Seminary. 
The  Comprehensive  Commentary  contains  the  whole  of  Henry's  Exposi 
tion  in  a  condensed  form,  Scott's  Practical  Observations  and  Marginal  Refer 
ences,  and  a  large  number  of  very  valuable  philological  and  critical  notes, 
selected  from  various  authors. — The  work  appears  to  be  executed  with  judg 
ment,  fidelity,  and  care;  and  will  furnish  a  rich  treasure  of  scriptural  know 
ledge  to  the  Biblical  student,  and  to  the  teachers  of  Sabbath  Schools  and 
Bible  classes.  A.  ALEXANDER,  D.  D. 

SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.  D. 


THE  COMPANION  TO  THE  BIBLE, 

In  one  super-royal  volume. 

DESIGNED  TO 

ACCOMPANY  THE  FAMILY  BIBLE,  OR  HENRY'S,  SCOTT'S, 
CLARKE'S,  GILL'S,  OR  OTHER  COMMENTARIES. 

CONTAINING 

1.  A  new,  full,  and  complete  Concordance ; 

Illustrated  with  monumental,  traditional,  and  oriental  engravings,  founded  on 
Butterworth's,  with  Cruden's  definitions  ;  forming,  it  is  believed,  on  many  ac 
counts,  a  more  valuable  work  than  either  Butterworth,  Cruden,  or  any  other 
similar  book  in  the  language. 

The  value  of  a  Concordance  is  now  generally  understood,  and  those  who 
have  used  one,  consider  it  indispensable  in  connection  with  the  Bible. 

1.  A  guide  to  the  reading  and  study  of*  the  Bible : 

being  Carpenter's  valuable  Biblical  Companion,  lately  published  in  London, 
containing  a  complete  history  of  the  Bible,  and  forming  a  most  excellent  intro 
duction  to  its  study.  It  embraces  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  Jewish  an 
tiquities,  manners,  customs,  arts,  natural  history,  &c.,  of  the  Bible,  with  notes 
and  engravings  added. 

3.  Complete  Biographies  of  Henry,  by  William*: 

Scott,  by  his  son:  Doddrldge,  by  Oil  on  ; 

with  sketches  of  the  lives  and  characters,  and  notices  of  the  works,  of  the 
writers  on  the  Scriptures,  who  are  quoted  in  the  commentary, living  and  dead, 
American  and  foreign. 

This  part  of  the  volume  not  only  affords  a  large  quantity  of  interesting  and 
useful  reading  for  pious  families,  but  will  also  be  a  source  of  gratification  to 
all  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  consulting  the  commentary,  every  one  natu 
rally  feeling  a  desire  to  know  some  particulars  of  the  lives  and  characters  of 
those  whose  opinions  he  seeks.  Appended  to  this  part,  will  be  a  Bibliotheca 
Biblica,  or  list  of  the  best  works  on  the  Bible,  of  all  kinds,  arranged  under 
their  appropriate  heads. 

4.  A  complete  Index  of  the   Matter  contained  In 

the  Bible  Text. 
5.  A  Symbolical  Dictionary. 

A  very  comprehensive  and  valuable  Dictionary  of  Scripture  symbols  (occupy 
ing  about  fifty-six  closely  printed  pages),  by  Thomas  Wemyss  (author  of 
(f  Biblical  Gleanings,"  &c.)  Comprising  Daubuz,  Lancaster,  Hutcheson,  &c. 

6.  The  work  contains  several  other  articles, 

indexes,  tables,  &c.  &c.,  and  is, 

7.  Illustrated  by  a  large  plan  of  Jerusalem, 

identifying,  as  far  as  tradition,  &c.,  go,  the  original  sites,  drawn  on  the  spot  by 
F.  Catherwood,  of  London,  architect.  Also,  two  steel  engravings  of  portraits 
of  seven  foreign  and  eight  American  theological  writers,  and  numerous  wood 
engravings. 

The  whole  forms  a  desirable  and  necessary  fund  of  instruction  for  the  use 
not  only  of  clergymen  and  Sabbath  school  teachers,  but  also  for  families. 
When  the  great  amount  of  matter  it  must  contain  is  considered,  it  will  be 
deemed  exceedingly  cheap.  

"  I  have  examined  '  The  Companion  to  the  Bible,'  and  have  been  surprised 
to  find  so  much  information  introduced  into  a  volume  of  so  moderate  a  size. 
It  contains  a  library  of  sacred  knowledge  and  criticism.  It  will  be  useful  to 
ministers  who  own  large  libraries,  and  cannot  fail  to  be  an  invaluable  help  to 
every  reader  of  the  Bible."  HENRY  MORRIS, 

Pastor  of  Cong.  Church,  Vt. 
The  above  work  can  be  had  in  several  styles  of  binding.     Price 

varying  from  $1  75  to  $5  00. 
4 


ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES, 

In  one  super-royal  volume. 

DERIVED     PRIXCIPA1LT    FROM    THE 

MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  ANTIQUITIES,  TRADITIONS,  AND  FORMS 

OF  SPEECH,  RITES,  CLIMATE,  WORKS  OF    ART,  AND 

LITERATURE  OF  THE  EASTERN  NATIONS; 

Embodying  all  that  is  valuable  in  the  works  of 

ROBERTS,    HARMER,   BURDER,    FAXTON,   CHANDLER, 

AND  THE  MOST  CELEBRATED  ORIENTAL  TRAVELLERS; 

EMBRACING  ALSO 

THE  SUBJECT  OF  THE  FULFILMENT  OF  PROPHECY, 

AS  EXHIBITED  BY  KEITH    AND  OTHERS. 

With  descriptions  of  the  present  state  of  countries  and  places 
mentioned  in  the  Sacred  Writings, 

Illustrated  by  numerous  landscape  Engravings, 

FROM  SKETCHES  TAKEN  ON  THE  SPOT. 

Edited  by  REV.  GEORGE  BUSH, 
Professor  of  Hebrew  and  Oriental  literature  in  the  New  York  City  University. 

ftS^The  importance  of  this  work  must  be  obvious,  and  being  altogether 
illustrative,  without  reference  to  doctrines,  or  other  points  in  which  Chris 
tians  differ,  it  is  hoped  it  will  meet  with  favor  from  all  who  love  the  sacred 
volume,  and  that  it  will  be  sufficiently  interesting  and  attractive  to  recom 
mend  itself,  not  only  to  professed  Christiarts  of  all  denominations,  but  also  to 
the  general  reader.  The  arrangement  of  the  texts  illustrated  with  the  notes, 
in  the  order  of  the  chapters  and  verses  of  the  authorized  version  of  the  Bible, 
will  render  it  convenient  for  reference  to  particular  passages,  while  the  co 
pious  Index  at  the  end  will  at  once  enable  the  reader  to  turn  to  every  subject 
discussed  in  the  volume. 

QZf'This  volume  is  not  designed  to  take  the  place  of  commentaries,  but  is  a 
distinct  department  of  Biblical  instruction,  and  may  be  used  as  a  companion  to 
the  Comprehensive  or  any  other  Commentary,  or  the  Holy  Bible. 

THE     ENGRAVINGS 

in  the  volume,  it  is  believed,  will  form  no  small  part  of  its  attractions.  No 
pains  have  been  spared  to  procure  such  as  should  embellish  the  work,  and  at 
the  same  time  illustrate  the  text.  Objections  that  have  been  made  to  the  pic 
tures  commonly  introduced  into  the  Bible,  as  being  mere  creations  of  fancy 
and  the  imagination,  often  unlike  nature,  and  frequently  conveying  false  im 
pressions,  cannot  be  urged  against  the  pictorial  illustrations  of  this  volume. 
Here  the  fine  arts  are  made  subservient  to  utility,  the  landscape  views  being, 
without  an  exception,  MATTER  OF  TACT  views  of  places  mentioned  in  Scripture, 
as  they  appear  at  the  present  day  ;  thus  in  many  instances  exhibiting  in  the 
most  forcible  manner  to  the  eye,  the  strict  and  literal  fulfilment  of  the  remark 
able  prophecies;  "  the  present  ruined  and  desolate  condition  of  the  cities  of 
Babylon,  Nineveh,  Selah,  &c.,  and  the  countries  of  Edom  and  Egypt,  are 
astonishing  examples,  and  so  completely  exemplify,  in  the  most  minute  par 
ticulars,  every  thing  which  was  foretold  of  them  in  the  height  of  their  pros 
perity,  that  no  better  description  can  now  be  given  of  them  than  a  simple 
quotation  from  a  chapter  and  verse  of  the  Bible  written  nearly  two  or  three 
thousand  years  ago."  The  publishers  are  enabled  to  select  from  several  col 
lections  lately  published  in  London,  the  proprietor  of  one  of  which  says,  that 
"  several  distinguished  travellers  have  afforded  him  the  use  of  nearly  Three 
Hundred  Original  Sketches"  of  Scripture  places,  made  upon  the  spot.  "  The 
land  of  Palestine,  it  is  well  known,  abounds  in  scenes  of  the  most  picturesque 
beauty.  Syria  comprehends  the  snowy  heights  of  Lebanon,  and  the  majestic 
ruins  of  Tadmor  and  Baalbec." 

The  above  work  can  be  had  in  various  styles  of  binding. 
Price  from  $1  75  to  $5  00. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  CONCORDANCE. 

In  one  vol.  Royal  8vo. 

A  new,  full,  and  complete  concordance;  illustrated  with  monumental, tra 
ditional,  and  oriental  engravings,  founded  on  Butterworth's,  with  Cruden's 
definitions;  forming,  it  is  believed,  on  many  accounts,  a  more  valuable  work 
than  either  Butterworth,  Cruden,  or  any  other  similar  book  in  the  language. 

The  value  of  a  concordance  is  now  generally  understood,  and  those  who 
have  used  one,  consider  it  indispensable  in  connection  with  the  Bible. 

Some  of  the  many  advantages  the  illustrated  concordance  has  over  all  the 
others,  are,  that  it  contains  near  200  appropriate  engravings :  it  is  printed  on 
fine  white  paper,  with  beautiful  large  type. 

Price  One  Dollar. 

ENCYCLOPEDIA  OF  RELIGIOUS  KNOWLEDGE ; 

OR, 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Theology,  Religious  Biography,  all  Religions,  Eccle 
siastical  History,  and  Missions;  containing  Definitions  of  all  Religious 
Terms  ;  an  impartial  Account  of  the  principal  Christian  Denominations  that 
have  existed  in  the  World  from  the  Birth  of  Christ  to  the  present  Day,  with 
their  Doctrines,  Religious  Rites  and  Ceremonies,  as  well  as  those  of  the 
Jews,  Mohammedans,  and  Heathen  Nations;  together  with  the  Manners 
and  Customs  of  the  East,  illustrative  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  a  Descrip 
tion  of  the  Quadrupeds,  Birds,  Fishes,  Reptiles,  Insects,  Trees,  Plants,  and 
Minerals  mentioned  in  the  Bible  :  a  Statement  of  the  most  Remarkable 
Transactions  and  Events  in  Ecclesiastical  History,  Biographical  Notices  of 
the  early  Martyrs  and  distinguished  Religious  Writers  and  Characters  of  all 
Ages.  To  which  is  added  a  Missionary  Gazeteer,  containing  Descriptions 
of  the  various  Missionary  Stations  throughout  the  Globe ;  by  Rev.  B.  B. 
Edwards,  Editor  of  Quarterly  Observer.  The  whole  brought  down  to  the 
present  time,  and  embracing,  under  one  Alphabet,  the  most  valuable  part 
of  Calmet's  and  Brown's  Dictionaries  of  the  Bible  ;  Buck's  Theol.  Diction 
ary  ;  Abbott's  Scripture  Natural  History;  Wells' Geography  of  the  Bible  ; 
Jones'  Christian  Biography;  and  numerous  other  similar  Works.  De 
signed  as  a  complete  Book  of  Reference  on  all  Religious  Subjects,  and 
Companion  to  the  Bible;  forming  a  cheap  and  compact  Library  of  Religious 
Knowledge.  Edited  by  Rev.  J.  Newton  Brown.  Illustrated  by  Wood  Cuts, 
Maps,  and  Engravings  on  Copper  and  Steel. 

In  One  Vol.  Royal  8vo.     Price  $4  00. 

LIPPINCOTT'S  EDITION  OF 

THE   OXFORD    QUARTO   BIBLE. 

The  publishers  have  spared  neither  care  nor  expense  in  their  edition  of  the 
BIBLE;  it  is  printed  on  the  finest  white  vellum  paper,  with  large  and  beauti 
ful  type,  and  bound  in  the  most  substantial  and  splendid  manner,  in  the  fol 
lowing  styles  :  Velvet,  with  richly  gilt  ornaments;  Turkey  super  extra,  with 
gilt  clasps  ;  and  in  numerous  others,  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  most  fastidious. 
OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

"  In  our  opinion,  the  Christian  public  generally  will  feel  under  great  obli 
gations  to  the  publishers  of  this  work  for  the  beautiful  taste,  arrangement,  and 
delicate  neatness  with  which  they  have  got  it  out.  The  intrinsic  merit  of  the 
Bible  recommends  itself;  it  needs  no  tinsel  ornament  to  adorn  its  sacred 
pages.  In  this  edition  every  superfluous  appendage  has  been  avoided,  and 
we  have  presented  us  a  perfectly  chaste  specimen  of  the  BIBLE  without  note 
or  comment.  It  appears  to  be  just  what  is  needed  in  every  family,  '  the  UN 
SOPHISTICATED  word  of  God.' 

"  The  size  is  quarto,  printed   with  beautiful  type,  on  white,  sized  vellum 
paper  of  the  finest  texture,  and  most  beautiful  surface.     The  publishers  seem 
to  have  been  solicitous  to  make  a  perfectly  unique  book,  and  they  have  ac 
complished  the  object  very  successfully.     We  trust  that  a  liberal  community 
6 


will  afford  them  ample  remuneration  for  all  the  expense  and  outlay  they  have 
necessarily  incurred  in  its  publication.  It  is  a  standard  Bible. 

"  The  publishers  are  Messrs.  Lippincott,  Grambo  &  Co.,  No.  14  North 
Fourth  Street,  Philadelphia." — Sapt.  Record. 

"  A  beautiful  quarto  edition  of  the  BIBLE,  by  L.  G.  &  Co.  Nothing  can 
exceed  the  type  in  clearness  and  beauty  ;  the  paper  is  of  the  finest  texture; 
and  the  whole  execution  is  exceedingly  neat.  No  illustrations  or  ornamental 
type  are  used.  Those  who  prefer  a  Bible  executed  in  perfect  simplicity, 
yet  elegance  of  style,  without  adornment,  will  probably  never  find  one  more 
to  their  taste." — M.  Magazine. 

LIPPINCOTT'S  EDITION  OF 

BAGSTER'S  COMPREHENSIVE  BIBLE, 

In  order  to  develop  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  Comprehensive  Bible,  it  will 
only  be  necessary  to  embrace  its  more  prominent  features. 

1st.  The  SACRED  TEXT  is  that  of  the  Authorized  Version,  and  is  printed 
from  the  edition  corrected  and  improved  by  Dr.  Blaney,  which,  from  its  accu 
racy,  is  considered  the  Standard  Edition. 

2d.  The  VARIOUS  READINGS  are  faithfully  printed  from  the  edition  of  Dr. 
Blaney,  inclusive  of  the  translation  of  the  Proper  Names,  without  the  addition 
or  diminution  of  one. 

3d.  In  the  CHRONOLOGY  great  care  has  been  taken  to  fix  the  date  of  the  par 
ticular  transactions,  which  has  seldom  been  done  with  any  degree  of  exactness 
in  any  former  edition  of  the  Bible. 

4th.  The  NOTES  are  exclusively  philological  and  explanatory,  and  are  not 
tinctured  with  sentiments  of  any  sect  or  party.  They  are  selected  from  the 
most  eminent  Biblical  critics  and  commentators. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  edition  of  the  Holy  Bible  will  be  found  to  contain  the 
essence  of  Biblical  research  and  criticism,  that  lies  dispersed  through  an  im 
mense  number  of  volumes. 

Such  is  the  nature  and  design  of  this  edition  of  the  Sacred  Volume,  which, 
from  the  various  objects  it  embraces,  the  freedom  of  its  pages  from  all  sectarian 
peculiarities,  and  the  beauty,  plainness,  and  correctness  of  the  typography, 
that  it  cannot  fail  of  proving  acceptable  and  useful  to  Christians  of  every  de 
nomination. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  references  to  parallel  passages,  which  are  quite  full 
and  numerous,  the  student  has  all  the  marginal  readings,  together  with  a  rich 
selection  of  Philological,  Critical,  Historical,  Geographical,  and  other  valua 
ble  notes  and  remarks,  which  explain  and  illustrate  the  sacred  text.  Besides 
the  general  introduction,  containing  valuable  essays  on  the  genuineness,  au 
thenticity,  and  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  other  topics  of  interest, 
there  are  introductory  and  concluding  remarks  to  each  book — a  table  of  the 
contents  of  the  Bible,  by  which  the  different  portions  are  so  arranged  as  to 
read  in  an  historical  order. 

Arranged  at  the  top  of  each  page  is  the  period  in  which  the  prominent  events 
of  sacred  history  took  place.  The  calculations  are  made  for  the  year  of  the 
world  before  and  after  Christ — Julian  period.  The  year  of  the  Olympiad — the 
year  of  the  building  of  Rome,  and  other  notations  of  time.  At  the  close  is 
inserted  a  chronological  index  of  the  Bible,  according  to  the  computation  of 
Archbishop  Usher.  Also,  a  full  and  valuable  index  of  the  subjects  contained 
in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  with  a  careful  analysis  and  arrangement  of 
texts  under  their  appropriate  subjects. 

Mr.  Greenfield,  the  editor  of  this  work,  and  for  some  time  previous  to  his 
death  the  superintendent  of  the  editorial  department  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  was  a  most  extraordinary  man.  In  editing  the  Comprehensive 
Bible,  his  varied  and  extensive  learning  was  called  into  successful  exercise, 
and  appears  in  happy  combination  with  sincere  piety  and  a  sound  judgment. 
The  Editor  of  the  Christian  Observer,  alluding  to  this  work,  in  an  obituary 
notice  of  its  author,  speaks  of  it  as  a  work  of"  prodigious  labor  and  research, 
at  once  exhibiting  his  varied  talents  and  profound  erudition." 

7 


LIPPINCOTT'S  EDITIONS  OF 

THE  HOLY   BIBLE. 

SIX    DIFFERENT    SIZES. 

Printed  in  the  best  manner,  with  beautiful  type,  on  the  finest  sized 
paper,  and  bound  in  the  most  splendid  and  substantial  styles.  War 
ranted  to  be  correct,  and  equal  to  the  best  English  editions,  at  much  less 
price.  To  be  had,  with  or  without  plates,  the  publishers  having  sup 
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gether,  this  is  the  most  elegant  work  ever  issued  from  the  American  press. 

"  <  In  a  single  volume,  not  larger  than  an  ordinary  duodecimo,  the  pub 
lishers  have  embraced  the  whole  of  Lord  Byron's  Poems,  usually  printed  in 

10 


ten  or  twelve  volumes,  and,  what  is  more  remarkable,  have  done  it  with  a 
type  so  clear  and  distinct,  that,  notwithstanding  its  necessarily  small  size,  it 
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eotyped,  and  never  have  we  seen  a  finer  specimen  of  that  art.  Everything 
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copy  of  which  has  been  sent  us  by  the  publisher.  The  admirers  of  the  noble 
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dare  a  competition  with  the  numerous  editions  of  his  works  already  in  circu 
lation ;  and  we  shall  be  surprised  if  this  conven'ent  travelling  edition  does 
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little  advantage  in  size  and  openness  of  type,  and  are  much  inferior  in  the 
qualities  of  portability  and  lightness. — Intelligencer. 


THE  DIAMOND  EDITION  OF  MOORE, 

(Corresponding  with  Byron.} 

The  Poetical  Works  of  Thomas  Moore,  collected  by  himself,  complete  in 
one  volume. 

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POEMS  OF  THE  PLEASURES  ;  consisting  of  the  Pleasures  of 
Imagination  by  Akenside;  the  Pleasures  of  Memory,  by  Samuel 
Rogers  ;  the  Pleasures  of  Hope,  by  Campbell ;  and  the  Pleasures  of 
Friendship,  by  McHenry.  With  a  Memoir  of  each  author,  pre 
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muslin,          25 

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11 


THE    ANTEDILUVIANS,  or  the  World  Destroyed  ;   a  Narrative 

Poem,  in  Ten  Books,  by  James  McHenry^M.  D.  cloth.          75 

THE  YOUNG  DOMINICAN.     With  numerous  Illustrations. 

fancy  muslin, 

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usually  required  in  book-keeping,  and  the  liability  to  mistakes. 
By  Paul  Moody.  75 

THE  YOUNG  CHORISTER,  a  Collection  of  New  and  beautiful 
Tunes,  adapted  to  the  use  of  Sabbath  Schools,  from  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  composers;  together  with  many  of  the  author's 
compositions.  Edited  by  Minard  W.  Wilson.  38 

ROBOTHAM'S    POCKET   FRENCH    DICTIONARY,  carefully  re- 

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'•  Mrs.  Hale  in  this  work  has  fulfilled  the  highest  requisition  laid  upon  modern  ge 
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12 


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Mason's  Farrier  and  Stud  Book— New  Edition, 


THE  GENTLEMAN'S  NEW  POCKET  FARRIER: 

COMPRISING  A    GENERAL   DESCRIPTION   OF   THE   NOBLE  AND   USEFUL   ANIMAL, 

THE   HORSE; 

With  modes  of  management  in  all  cases,  and  treatment  in  disease. 

BY  RICHARD  MASON,  M.D., 

Formerly  of  Surry  County,  Virginia. 

TO  WHICH  IS   ADDED,  A  PRIZE    ESSAY  ON  MULES; 
An  Appendix,  containing  Recipes  for  Diseases  of  Horses,  Oxen,  Cows,  Calves,  Sheep, 
Dogs,  Swine,  etc.  etc.,  with  annals  of  th«  Turf,  American  Stud  Book, 
Rules  for  Training,  Racing,  etc. 

WITH    A    SUPPLEMENT: 

Comprising  an  Essay  on  Domestic  Animals,  especially  the  Horse;  with  Remarks  on 
Treatment  and  Breeding:  together  with  Trotting  and  Racing  Tables,  showing  the 


best  time  on  record,  at  one,  two,  three  and  four  mile  heats;  Pedigrees  of  Winning 
s.  since  lb:39;  and  of  the  most  celebrated  Stallions  and  Mares;  with  U; 


Calving  and  Lambing  Tables,  &c.  &c.  BY  J.  S.  SKINNER,  Editor  now  of  the  Far 
mer's  Library,  New  York  ;  Founder  of  the  American  Farmer,  in  1819 ,  and  of  the  Turf 
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Sporting  Periodicals  established  hi  the  United  States. 

A  1 


Hinds'  Farriery  and  Stud-Book—New  Edition. 

FARRIERY, 

TAUGHT  ON  A  NEW  AND  EASY  PLAN, 

BEING  A  TREATISE  ON  TUB 

DISEASES  AND  ACCIDENTS  OF  THE  HORSE ; 

WITH 

Instructions  to  the  Shoeing  Smith,  Farrier,  and  Groom,  preceded  by  a  Popular  Descrip 
tion  of  the  Animal  Functions  in  Health,  and  how  these  are  to 
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B?  JOHN  HINDS,  Veterinary  Surgeon. 

With  considerable  Additions  and  Improvements,  particularly  adapted  to  this  Country 

BY  THOMAS  M.  SMITH, 

Veterinary  Surgeon,  and  Member  of  the  London  Veterinary  Medical  Society. 
WITH    A    SUPPLEMENT: 

COMPRISING 

An  Essay  on  Domestic  Animals,  especially  the  Horse  ;  with  Remarks  on  Treatment  and 

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Mares  :  with  Useful  Calving  and  Lambing 

Tables,  &c.&c. 

BY    J.    S.    SKINNER, 

Editor  now  of  the  Farmer's  Library,  New  York  ;  Founder  of  the  American  Farmer,  in 

1819;  and  of  the  Turf  Register  and  Sporting  Magazine,  in  1S29:  being  the  first 

Agricultural  and  the  first  Sporting  Periodicals  established  in  the 

United  States. 
THE  PUBLISHERS  HAVE  RECEIVED  NUMEROUS  FLATTERING  NOTICES  of  the  great 

practical  value  of  these  works.  The  distinguished  editor  of  the  American  Far 
mer,  speaking  of  them,  observes — "We  cannot  too  highly  recommend  these 
books,  and  therefore  advise  every  owner  of  a  horse  to  obtain  them." 

"  There  are  receipts  in  those  books  that  show  how  FOUNDER  may  be  cured, 
and  the  traveler  pursue  his  journey  the  next  day,  by  giving  a  tablespoonful  of 
alum.  This  was  got  from  Dr.  P.  Thornton,  of  Montpelier,  Rappahannock 
County,  Virginia,  as  founded  on  his  own  observation  in  several  cases." 

"  The  constant  demand  for  MASON  AND  HINDS'  FARRIER,  has  induced  the 
publishers,  Messrs.  GRIGG,  ELLIOT  &  Co..  to  put  forth  new  editions  with  a  '  SUP 
PLEMENT'  of  100  pages,  by  J.  S.  SKINNER,  Esq.  We  should  have  sought  to 
render  an  acceptable  service  to  our  agricultural  readers,  by  giving  a  chapter 
from  the  Supplement,  '  On  the  relations  between  Man  and  the  Domestic  Ani 
mals — especially  the  Horse  — and  the  obligations  they  impose ;'  or  the  one  on 
'  The  Form  of  Animals,' — but  that  either  one  of  them  would  overrun  the  space 
here  allotted  to  such  subjects." 

"  LIST  OF  MEDICINES, 
And   other  articles  which  ought  to  be  at  hand  about  every  training  and  livery 

stnble,  and   every  Farmer's  and   Breeder's   establishment,  will   be  found   in 

these  valuable  works." 


RUSCHEHBERGER'S  NATURAL  HISTORY, 

IN  Two  BEAUTIFUL  VOLUMES  WORTHY  OF  THE  HIGHEST  COMMENDATION. 

They  embrace  elements  of  Anaiomy  and  Physiology.  Mammalogy.  Ornithology,  llt-r- 
pelology,  Couchoiogy,  Entomology.  L'oiutiy  and  Geology,  each  ol  which  .Divisions  of 
Science  is  mated  of  in  the  most  masterly  yet  simple'iimi'in  r.  on  ihe  busisof  a  set  of 
works  ordered  and  approved  by  the  Royal  Council  of  Public  Instruction  in  France. 

The  author  lias  done  his  work  well,  and  is  highly  complimented  by  'he  most  distin 
guished  scholars  in  the  country.  The  work  is  :i  text-book  in  the  Philadelphia  High 
School.  It  is  splendidly  illustrated,  and  parents-  could  not  do  1  otter  than  to  present  their 
children  with  this  book  in  preference  to  those  of  u  more  trivial  character,  combining  as 
it  does  amusement  with  important  instruction.  Any  one  of  ihe  works  may  be  had 
separately. 


BIGLAND'S  NATURAL  HISTORY 

Of  Animais,  Birds,  Fishes,  Rep-tiles  and  Insects,  illustrated  wjth  numerous  and 
beautiful  engravings.  By  JOHN  BIGLAND,  author  oC  a  "  View  of  the 
World,"  "  Letters  on  Universal  History,"  &c.  Complete  in  1  vol.  12mo. 

This  work  is  particularly  adapted  for  the  use  of  Schools  and  Families,  forming  the  most 
elegantly  written  and  complete  work  on  the  subjec*  of  Natural  History  ever  published, 
and  is  worthy  of  the  special  attention  of  the  teachers  of  all  our  schools  and  academies. 


GOLDSMITH'S    ANIMATED   MATURE. 

IN  TWO  VOLS.  OCTAVO. 
Beautifully  Illustrated  with  385  Plates. 

"  Goldsmith  can  never  be  made  obsolete  while  delicate  genius,  exquisite  feel 
ing,  fine  invention,  the  most  harmonious  metre,  and  the  happiest  diction  are  at 
all  valued." 

This  is  a  work  that  should  be  in  the  library  of  every  family,  being  written  by 
one  of  the  most  talented  authors  in  the  English  language. 


McMAHON'S  AMERICAN  GARDENER. 

NINTH  EDITION,  MUCH  IMPROVED. 

In  one  volume,  octavo. 

This  is  an  invaluable  work  to  all  who  wish  to  obtain  any  information  on   the 
subject  of  Gardening  in  all  its  various  branches. 


CHAMBERS'  INFORMATION  FOR  THE  PEOPLE; 

OR, 

POPULAB    ENCYCLOPEDIA: 

EMBRACING  ALL  THE  BRANCHES  OF  GENERAL  KNOWLEDGE  NECESSARY  TO  CONSTITUTE 

A  WELL  INFORMED  MAN. 

Altogether,  1700  Imperial  Octavo  Pages,  Two  Large  Volumes  of  850  Pages  each. 
$£r  This  work  should  find  a  place  in  every  Family  Library. 


SPLENDID  LIBRARY  EDITIONS, 

DLITJSTRATED    STANDARD    POETS. 

Elegantly  Printed  and  Uniform  in  Size  and  Style. 

The  following  editions  of  Standard  British  Poets  are  illustrated  with  numerous 
steel  engravings,  and  may  be  had  in  all  varieties  of  binding. 

BYRON'S    WORKS. 

Complete  in  1  Vol.  Octavo. 

Including  all  his  Suppressed  and  Attributed  Poems;  with  6  beautiful 
engravings. 

|0"  This  edition  has  been  carefully  compared  with  the  recent  London  edition  of  Mr. 
Murray,  and  made  complete  by  the  addition  of  more  than  fifty  pages  of  poems  hereto 
fore  unpublished  in  England.  Among  these  there  are  a  number  that  have  never  appear 
ed  in  any  American  edition;  and  the  publishers  believe  they  are  warranted  in  saying, 
that  this  is  the  most  complete  edition  of  Lord  Byron's  Poetical  Works  ever  published  in 
the  United  States. 

3 


COWPER  AND  THOMSON'S  PROSE  AND  POETICAL  WORKS. 

Complete  in  1  Vol.  Octavo, 

Including  two  hundred  and  fifty  Letters,  :ind  sundry  Poems  of  Cowper,  never  before 

published  in  this  country  ;  and  of  Thomson  a  new  and  interesting  Memoir, 

and  upwards  of  twenty  new  Poems,  for  the  first  time  printed  from  his 

own  Manuscripts,  taken  from  a  late  edition  of  the  Aldine  Poeta 

now  publishing  in  London. 

WITH  SEV*EJV  BEAUTIFUL  EJYGRAVIJYGS. 

The  distinguished  Professor  Silliman,  speaking  of  this  edition,  observes,  "I  am  as 
much  gratified  by  the  elegance  and  fine  taste  of  your  edition  as  by  the  noble  tribute 
of  genius  and  moral  excellence  which  these  delightful  authors  have  left  for  all  future 
generations;  and  Cowper,  especially,  is  not  less  conspicuous  as  a  true  Christian,  moral 
ist  and  teacher,  than  as  a  poet  of  great  power  and  exquisite  taste." 


THE  POETICAL  WORKS  OF  MRS,  REMANS, 

Complete  in  1  Vol.  8vo.;  with  7  beautiful  Engravings. 

U7"  This  is  a  new  and  complete  edition,  with  a  splendid  engraved  likeness  of  Mrs. 
Hemans  on  steel,  and  contains  all  the  poems  in  the  last  London  and  American  editions. 
With  a  Critical  Preface  by  Mr.  Thatcher,  of  Boston. 

"As  no  work  in  the  English  language  can  be  commended  with  more  confidence,  it  will 
argue  bad  taste  in  a  female  in  this  country  to  be  without  a  complete  edition  of  the  writ 
ings  of  one  who  was  an  honor  to  her  sex  and  to  humanity,  and  whose  productions,  from 
first  to  last,  contain  no  syllable  calculated  to  call  a  blush  to  the  cheek  of  modesty  and 
virtue.  There  is,  moreover,  in  Mrs.  Hemans'  poetry  a  moral  purity,  and  a  religious 
feeling,  which  commend  it,  in  an  especial  manner,  to  the  discriminating  reader.  No 
parent  or  guardian  will  be  under  the  necessity  of  imposing  restrictions  with  regard  to 
the  free  perusal  of  every  production  emanating  from  this  gifted  woman.  There  breathes 
throughout  the  whole  a  most  eminent  exemption  from  impropriety  of  thought  or  diction; 
and  there  is  at  times  a  pensiveness  of  tone,  a  winning  sadness  in  her  more  serious  com 
positions,  which  tells  of  a  soul  which  has  been  lifted  from  the  contemplation  of  terres 
trial  things,  to  divine  communings  with  beings  of  a  purer  world." 


THE  POETICAL  WORKS  OF  ROGERS,  CAMPBELL,  MONTGOMERY,  LAMB, 

AND  KIRK  WHITE,  t 

Complete  in  1  Vol.  Svo.j  with  6  beautiful  engravings. 

3£p  The  beauty,  correctness  and  convenience  of  this  favorite  edition  of  these 
standard  authors  are  so  well  known,  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  a  word 
in  its  favor.  It  is  only  necessary  to  say,  that  the  publishers  have  now  issued  an 
illustrated  edition,  which  greatly  enhances  its  former  value.  The  engravings 
are  excellent  and  well  selected.  It  is  the  best  library  edition  extant. 

MILTON,    YOUNG,   GRAY,   BEATTIE,  AND   COLLINS' 
POETICAL   WORKS. 

Complete  in  1  Vol.  8vo.;  with  6  beautiful  engravings. 

HEBER,  POLLOK,  AND  CRABBE'S  POETICAL  WORKS. 

Complete  in  1  Vol.  8vo.;  with  6  beautiful  engravings. 

A  writer  in  the  Boston  Traveller  holds  the  following  language  with  reference  to  these 
valuable  editions:— 

Mr.  Editor— I  wish,  without  any  idea  of  puffing,  to  say  a  word  or  two  upon  the  "  Li 
brary  of  English  Poets"  that  is  now  published  at  Philadelphia,  by  Grigg  &  Elliot;  it  is 
certainly,  taking  into  consideration  the  elegant  manner  in  which  it  is  printed,  and  the 
reasonable  price  at  which  it  is  afforded  to  purchasers,  the  best  edition  of  the  modern 
British  Poets  that  has  ever  been  published  in  this  country.  Each  volume  is  an  octavo 
of  about  500  pages,  double  columns,  stereotyped,  and  accompanied  with  fine  engravings, 
and  biographical  sketches,  and  most  of  them  are  reprinted  from  Galignani's  French 
edition.  As  to  its  value  we  need  only  mention  that  it  contains  the  entire  works  of  Mont 
gomery,  Gray,  Beattie,  Collins,  Byron.  Cowper,  Thomson,  Milton,  Young,  Rogers,  Camp 
bell,  Lamb,  Hemans,  Heber.  Kirk  White,  Crabbe,  the  Miscellaneous  Works  of  Gold 
smith,  and  other  martyrs  of  the  lyre.  The  publishers  are  doing  a  great  service  by  their 
publication,  and  their  volumes  are  almost  in  as  great  demand  as  the  fashionable  novels 
of  the  day,  and  they  deserve  to  be  so,  for  they  are  certainly  printed  in  a  style  superior  to 
that  in  which  we  have  before  had  the  works  of  the  English  Poets." 

No  library  can  be  considered  complete  without  a  copy  of  the  abore  beautiful  and 
cheap  editions  of  the  English  Poets,  and  persons  ordering  all  or  any  of  them  will  please 
say  Grigg.  Elliot  &  Co  'slllustrated  editions. 

4 


JOSEPHUS'S  (FLAVIUS)  WORKS. 

GRIGG,   ELLIOT    &    CO.'S    FAMILY    EDITION. 
BY  THE  LATE  WILLIAM  WHISTON,  A.M. 

FROM  THE  LAST  LONDON  EDITION,  COMPLETE. 
One  Vol.,  Beautifully  Illustrated  with  Steel  Plates, 

And  the  only  readable  edition  published  in  this  country. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  every  family  in  our  country  has  a  copy  of  the  Holy 
Bible — and  as  the  presumption  is,  the  greater  portion  often  consult  its  pages,  we 
take  the  liberty  of  saying  to  all  those  that  do,  that  the  perusal  of  the  writings  ot 
Josephus  will  be  found  very  interesting  and  instructive. 

All  those  who  wish  to  possess  a  beautiful  and  correct  copy  of  this  valuable 
work,  would  do  well  to  purchase  this  edition.  It  is  for  sale  at  all  the  principal 
bookstores  in  the  United  States,  by  country  merchants  generally  in  the  Southern 
and  Western  States. 


Say's  Political  Economy. 

A  TREATISE  ON  POLITICAL  ECONOMY, 

OR  THE 

Production,  Distribution,  and  Consumption  of  Wealth, 
BY  JEAN  BAPTISTS  SAY. 

FIFTH  AMERICAN  EDITION,  WITH  ADDITIONAL  NOTES, 

BY   C.    C.    BIDDLE,  ESQ., 

In   One    Volume,   Octavo* 

It  would  be  beneficial  to  our  country  if  all  those  who  are  aspiring  to  office, 
were  required  by  their  constituents  to  be  conversant  with  the  pages  of  Say. 

The  distinguished  biographer  of  the  author,  in  noticing  this  work,  observes, 
"  Happily  for  science  he  commenced  that  study  which  forms  the  basis  of  his  ad 
mirable  treatise  on  Political  Economy,  a  work  which  not  only  improved  under 
his  hand  with  every  successive  edition,  but  has  been  translated  into  most  of  the 
European  languages." 

The  editor  of  the  North  American  Review,  speaking  of  Say,  observes,  that 
"  he  is  the  most  popular,  and  perhaps  the  most  able  writer  on  Political  Economy, 
since  the  time  of  Smith." 


BENNETT'S  (Rev.  John) 

LETTERS    TO  A  YOUNG  LADY, 

ON    A    VARIETY    OF   SUBJECTS    CALCULATED    TO    IMPROVE    THE 
HEART,  TO  FORM  THE   MANNERS,  AND   ENLIGHTEN 

THE  UNDERSTANDING. 

"That  oar  Daughters  maybe  as  polished  corners  of  the  Temple." 
The  publishers  sincerely  hope,  (for  the  happiness  of  mankind,)  that  a  copy  of 
this  valuable  little  work  will  be  found  the  companion  of  every  young  lady,  as 
much  of  the  happiness  of  every  family  depends  on  the  proper  cultivation  of  the 
female  mind. 


THE  DAUGHTER'S  OWN  BOOK, 

OR,  PRACTICAL  HINTS  FROM  A  FATHER  TO  HIS  DAUGHTER. 

ONE  VOLUME  18]HO. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  practical  and  truly  valuable  treatises  on  the  culture 
and  discipline  of  the  female  mind,  which  has  hitherto  been  published  in  this 
country,  and  the  publishers  are  very  confident,  from  the  great  demand  for  thia 
invaluable  little  work,  that  ere  long  it  will  be  found  in  the  library  of  every 
voung  lady. 

A*  5 


LAURENCE    STERNE'S   WORKS, 

WITH  A  LIFE  OF  THE  AUTHOR,  WRITTEN  BY  HIMSELF, 

"With  7  Beautiful  Illustrations,  engraved  by  Gilbert  and  Gihon, 

from  Designs  by  Barley. 

ONE    VOLUME    OCTAVO,  CLOTH    GILT. 

To  commend,  or  to  criticise  Sterne's  works,  in  this  age  of  the  world,  would 
be  all  "  wasteful  and  extravagant  excess."  Uncle  Toby — Corporal  Trim — The 
Widow — Le  Fevre — Poor  Maria — The  Captive — even  the  Dead  Ass, — this  is  all 
we  have  to  say  of  Sterne  ;  and  in  the  memory  of  these  characters,  histories  and 
sketches,  a  thousand  follies  and  worse  than  follies  are  forgotten.  The  volume 
is  a  very  handsome  one. 


BOOK    OF    POLITENESS. 

THE  GENTLEMAN  AND  LADY'S 

BOOK  OF  POLITENESS  AND  PROPRIETY  OF  DEPORTMENT. 

DEDICATED  TO  THE  YOUTH  OF  BOTH  SEXES. 

BY  MADAME  CELNART. 
Translated  from  the  Sixth  Paris  edition,  enlarged  and  improved, 

Fifth  American  Edition.    1  Vol.  18mo. 


A  Dictionary  of 
SELECT  AMD  POPULAR  QUOTATIONS, 

WHICH  ARE  IN  DAILY  USE: 

TAKEN  FROM  THE  LATIN,  FRENCH,  GREEK,  SPANISH  AND 
ITALIAN  LANGUAGES  ; 

TOGETHER  WITH  A  COPIOUS  COLLECTION  OF  LAW  MAXIMS  AND  LAW  TERMS 

Translated  into  English,  with  illustrations,  Historical  and  Idiomatic. 

New  American  edition,  corrected  with  additions, 

One  Vol.  13mo. 

This  volume  comprises  a  copious  collection  of  legal  and  other  terms,  ^hich 
are  in  common  use,  with  English  translations  and  Historical  Illustrations,  and 
we  should  judge  its  author  had  surely  been  to  a  great  "  Feast  of  Languages," 
and  stole  all  the  scraps.  A  work  of  this  character  should  have  an  extensive 
sale,  as  it  entirely  obviates  a  serious  difficulty  in  which  most  readers  are  involved 
by  the  frequent  occurrence  of  Latin,  Greek,  and  French  passages,  which  we 
suppose  are  introduced  by  authors  for  a  mere  show  of  learning — a  difficulty  very 
perplexing  to  readers  in  general.  This  "  Dictionary  of  Quotations,"  concerning 
which  too  much  cannot  be  said  in  its  favor,  effectually  removes  the  difficulty, 
and  gives  the  reader  an  advantage  over  the  author,  for  we  believe  a  majority 
are  themselves  ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  the  terms  they  employ — very  few 
truly  learned  authors  will  insult  their  readers  by  introducing  Latin  or  French 
quotations  in  their  writings  when  "  Plain  English"  is  just  as  good  ;  but  we  will 
not  enlarge  on  this  point. 

If  the  book  is  useful  to  those  unacquainted  with  other  languages,  it  is  no  loss 
valuable  to  the  classically  educated  as  a  book  of  reference,  and  answers  all  the 
purposes  of  a  Lexicon — indeed,  on  many  accounts,  it  is  better.  It  saves  the 
trouble  of  tumbling  over  the  larger  volumes,  to  which  every  one,  and  especially 
those  engaged  in  the  Legal  Profession,  are  very  often  subjected.  It  shoulj 
have  a  place  in  every  library  in  the  country. 

6 


THE  AMERICAN  CHESTERFIELD; 
Or,  "Youth's  Guide  to  the  Way  to  Wealth,  Honor,  and  Dis 
tinction,"  &c.    18mo, 

CONTAINING  ALSO  A  COMPLETE  TREATISE  ON  THE  ART  OF  CARVING. 

"  We  most  cordially  recommend  the  American  Chesterfield  to  general  atten 
tion  ;  but  to  young  persons  particularly,  as  one  of  the  best  works  of  the  kind 
that  has  ever  been  published  in  this  country.  It  cannot  be  too  highly  appre 
ciated,  nor  its  perusal  be  unproductive  of  satisfaction  and  usefulness." 


SENECA'S    MORALS. 

BY  WAY  OF  ABSTRACT  TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED,  A  DISCOURSE  UN 
DER  THE  TITLE  OF  AN  AFTER-THOUGHT. 

By  Sir  Roger  I/Estrange,  Knt. 

A  NEW  FINE  EDITION,  ONE  VOLUME,  18MO. 

A  copy  of  this  valuable  little  work  should  be  found  in  every  family  library. 


BURDEB'S  VILLAGE   SERMONS. 
Or,   1O1 

PLMN  AM  SHORT  DISCOURSES  ON  THE  PRINCIPAL  DOCTRINES  OF  THE 

GOSPEL; 

INTENDED  FOR  THE  USE  OF  FAMILIES,  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS,  OR  COMPANIES  ASSEMBLED 
FOR  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION  IN  COUNTRY  VILLAGES. 

BY  GEORGE  BURDER. 

To  which  is  added  to  each  Sermon,  a  Short  Prayer,  with  some  General 

Prayers  for  Families.,  Schools,  &c.,  at  the  end  of  the  work. 

Complete  in  One  Volume,  Octavo. 

These  sermons,  which  are  characterized  by  a  beautiful  simplicity,  the  entire 
absence  of  controversy,  and  a  true  evangelical  spirit,  have  gone  through  many 
and  large  editions,  and  been  translated  into  several  of  the  continental  languages. 
"  They  have  also  been  the  honored  means  not  only  of  converting  many  indivi 
duals,  but  also  of  introducing  the  Gospel  into  districts,  and  even  into  parish 
churches,  where  before  it  was  comparatively  unknown." 
"  This  work  fully  deserves  the  immortality  it  has  attained." 
This  is  a  fine  library  edition  of  this  invaluable  work,  and  when  we  say  that  it 
should  be  found  in  the  possession  of  every  family,  we  only  reiterate  the  senti 
ments  and  sincere  wishes  of  all  who  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  eternal  welfare 
of  mankind. 


Mew  Song  Book. 

Grigg's  Southern  and  Western  Songster; 

BEING  A 

CHOICE  COLLECTION  OF  THE   MOST  FASHIONABLE   SONGS, 

MANY  OF  WHICH  ARE  ORIGINAL. 

In  One  Vol.  \3rno. 

Great  care  was  taken  in  the  selection,  to  admit  no  song  that  contained,  in  the 
slightest  degree,  any  indelicate  or  improper  allusions,  and  with  great  propriety 
it  may  claim  the  title  of  "The  Parlor  Song  Book  or  Songster."  The  immortal 
Shakspeare  observes — 

"  The  man  that  hath  not  music  in  himself, 
Nor  is  not  moved  with  concord  of  sweet  sounds, 
Is  fit  for  treasons,  stratagems,  and  spoils." 


Family  Prayers  and  Hymns 

ADAPTED  TO  FAMILY  WORSHIP,  AND  TABLES  FOR  THE 

REGULAR  READING  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 

BY    REV.   S.    C.    WINCHESTER,  A.  M., 

Late  Pastor  of  the  Sixth  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia  ;  and  the  Presbyte 
rian  Church  at  Natchez,  Miss. 
One   Volume,  12mo. 


THE    WESTERN    MERCHANT, 

A  NARRATIVE 

CONTAINING   USEFUL  INSTRUCTION  FOR  THE  WESTERN  MAN  OF 
BUSINESS,  WHO  MAKES  HIS  PURCHASES  IN  THE  EAST  ; 

ALSO, 

INFORMATION  FOR  THE  EASTERN  MAN  WHOSE  CUSTOMERS 
ARE  IN  THE  WEST:  LIKEWISE  HINTS  FOR  THOSE  WHO 
DESIGN  EMIGRATING  TO  THE  WEST:  DEDUCED 
FROM  ACTUAL  EXPERIENCE. 

BY  LUKE  SHORTFIELD,  A  Western  Merchant 

In  One  Volume,  12mo. 

This  is  a  new  work  and  will  be  found  very  interesting  to  the  Country 
Merchant,  &c.  &c. 

A  sprightly,  pleasant  book,  with  a  vast  amount  of  information  in  a  very  agreeable 
shape.  Business,  Love  and  Religion  are  all  discussed,  and  many  proper  sentiments  ex 
pressed  in  regard  to  each.  The  "  moral"  of  the  work  is  summed  up  in  the  following  con 
cluding  sentences:  "Adhere  steadfastly  to  your  business;  adhere  steadfastly  to  your 
first  love;  adhere  steadfastly  to  the  church." 


To  Carpenters  and  Mechanics. 
Just  Published. 

A  NEW  AND  IMPROVED  EDITION  OF  THE 

CARPENTER'S  NEW  GUIDE, 

BEING  A  COMPLETE  BOOK  OF  LINES  FOR 

CARPENTRY    AND   JOINERY, 

Treating  fully  on  Practical  Geometry,  Safin's  Brick  and  Plaster  Groins.  Niches  of  every 

description,  Sky-Lights.  Lines  for  Roofs  and  Domes,  with  a  great  variety  of  Designs 

for  Roofs,  Trussed  Girders,  Floors,  Domes,  Bridges,  &c.,  Angle  Bars  for  Shop 

Fronts,  &c.,  and  Raking  Mouldings. 

AtSO, 

Additional  Plans  for  various  Stair-Cases,  with  the  Lines  for  producing  the  Face  and  Fall 
ing  Moulds,  never  before  published,  and  greatly  superior  to  those  given  in 
a  former  edition  of  this  work. 

BY    WILLIAM    JOHNSON, 

ARCHITECT,  OF  PHILADELPHIA. 

THE  WHOLE  FOUNDED  ON  TRUE  GEOMETRICAL  PRINCIPLES; 
THE  THEORY  AND  PRACTICE 

Well  explained  and  fully  exemplified,  on  eighty-three  Copper  Plates,  including  som 
Observations  and  Calculations  on  the  Strength  of  Timber. 

BY    PETER    NICHOLSON, 

Author  of  "  The  Carpenter  and  Joiners'  Assistant,"  "  The  Student's  Instructor  to  the 
Five  Orders,"  &c. 

Thirteenth  Edition.    1  Vol.  4 to. 

8 


THE  ERRORS  OF  MODERN  INFIDELITY, 

ILLUSTRATED    AND    REFUTED, 

BY  S.  M.  SCHMUCKER,  A.  M., 

In  One  Volume  12mo.,  cloth.    Just  Published. 

We  cannot  but  regard  this  work,  in  whatever  light,  we  view  it  in  reference  to  its  de 
sign,  as  one  of  the  most  masterly  productions  of  the  age,  and  fitted  to  unroot  one  of  the 
most  fondly  cherished  and  dangerous  of  all  ancient  or  modern  errors.  God  must  bless 
such  a  work,  armed  with  his  own  truth,  and  doing  fierce  and  successful  battle  against 
black  infidelity,  which  would  bring  His  Majesty  and  Word  down  to  the  tribunal  of  hu 
man  reason,  for  condemnation  and  annihilation. — Albany  Spectator. 


The  Child's  First  Book  in  Geography. 

BY  A  DISTINGUISHED  PRACTICAL  TEACHER. 

A  Small  Quarto,  illustrated  by  numerous  Maps,  on  a  new  and  improved  plan,  and  over 
one  hundred  Beautiful  and  Original  Cuts,  forming  the  most  complete  and  attractive 
Primary  Geography,  yet  published  in  this  country.  This  elementary  work,  as  also 
the  larger  School  Geography  named  below,  contains  as  much  or  more  Geographical 
information  and  better  arranged,  than  any  other  Geographies  now  used  in  the  schools 
of  this  country,  for  the  truth  of  which  the  publishers  particularly  request  all  teachers 
to  examine  for  themselves.  Copies  for  examination  will  be  furnished  gratis. 


SMITH'S  WEW  COMMON  SCHOOL  GEOGRAPHY, 

Illustrated  with  numerous  engravings,  and  particularly  adapted  for  all  Common  Schools, 
Academies,  &c.  This  is  a  new  work,  and  all  persons  ordering,  will  please  say,  Grigg, 
Elliot  &  Co.'s  Edition  of  Smith's  Geography. 

There  is  no  School  Book  ever  issued  from  the  American  press,  that  is  more  highly  re 
commended  than  this  invaluable  elementary  work;  and  it  will  be  universally  introduced 
into  all  the  Private  and  Public  Schools  in  the  United  States,  if  real  merit  is  taken  into 
consideration,  and  all  Teachers  are  particularly  requested  to  give  it  a  candid  examination 


WALKER'S  SCHOOL  DICTIONARY, 

New  Edition,  well  bound.  The  above  is  a  popular  Philadelphia  School  Edition,  printed 
from  New  Stereotype  Plates,  on  Fine  White  Paper,  and  well  bound,  and  has  been 
adopted  and  introduced  into  the  Public  Schools  of  Philadelphia. 

Chamber  of  the  Controllers  of  Public  Schools,  ~) 

First  School  District  of  Pennsylvania,  V 

Philadelphia,  Mar ch  15,  1848.      3 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Controllers  of  Public  Schools,  First  School  District  of  Pennsylva 
nia,  held  at  the  Controllers'  Chamber,  on  Tuesday,  March  14th,  the  following  resolution 
was  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  "  Walker's  Critical  Pronouncing  Dictionary,"  published  by 
Grigg,  Elliot  &  Co.,  be  adopted  for  use  in  the  Public  Schools. 
Certified  from  the  Minutes. 

THOMAS  B.  FLORENCE,  Secretary. 
Messrs.  GRIGG,  ELLIOT  &  Co. 


THE     AMERICAN     MANUAL: 

Containing  a  Brief  Outline  of  the  Origin  and  Progress  of  Political  Power,  and  the  Laws 
of  Nations;  a  Commentary  on  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  of  North  America, 
and  a  lucid  Exposition  of  the  Duties  and  Responsibilities  of  Voters,  Jurors,  and  Civil 
Magistrates;  with  Questions,  Definitions,  and  Marginal  Exercises;  designed  to  de- 
velope  and  strengthen  the  Moral  and  Intellectual  Powers  of  Youth,  and  impart  an 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  nature  and  necessity  of  Political  Wisdom.  Adapted  to  the 
use  of  Schools,  Academies,  and  the  Public.  By  JOSEPH  BARTLETT  BUELEIGH,  A.  M., 
a  Member  of  the  Baltimore  Bar,  and  President  of  Newton  University. — ''REGNANT 
POPULI."  This  invaluable  work  has  received  the  highest  recommendations  from  many 
of  the  most  distinguished  and  practical  Teachers  in  this  country.  Teachers  who  study 
the  welfare  and  improvement  of  their  pupils  will  examine  and  use  this  book. 

9 


AN  ETYMOLOGICAL 
DICTIONARY  OF  THE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE, 

Containing  the  Radicals  and  Definitions  of  Words  derived  from  the  Greek,  Latin,  and 
French  Languages;  and  all  the  generally  used  Technical  and  Polite  Phrases  adopted 
from  the  French  and  Latin.  Designed  chiefly  as  a  Book  of  Reference  for  professional 
men,  and  the  curious  in  Literature,  in  explaining  Words  and  Phrases,  the  origin  of 
•which  requires  much  Historical  and  Philosophical  Research  ;  and  adapted  also  to  be 
used  as  an  Academical  Class  Book.  By  WILLIAM  GRIMSHAW,  author  of  a  History  of 
the  United  States,  History  of  England,  France,  &c.  Third  edition,  carefully  Revised 
and  Enlarged.  In  1  vol.  12mo. 


The  Life  of 

GENERAL  ZAGHAR7  TAYLOR, 

COMPRISING  A  NARRATIVE  OF  EVENTS  CONNECTED  WITH  HIS 

PROFESSIONAL  CAREER,  AND  AUTHENTIC  INCIDENTS 

OF  HIS  EARLY  YEARS. 

BY   J.    REESE   FRY    AND    R.    T.   CONRAD. 

WITH  AN  ORIGINAL  AND   ACCURATE   PORTRAIT,  AND  ELEVEN  ELEGANT  ILLUSTRA 
TIONS,  BY  DARLEY. 

In  one  handsome  12mo.  volume. 

It  is  by  far  the  fullest  and  most  interesting  biography  of  General  Taylor  that  we  have 
ever  seen. — Richmond  (Whig)  Chronicle. 

On  the  whole,  we  are  satisfied  that  this  volume  is  the  most  correct  and  comprehensive 
one  yet  published. — Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine. 

"  The  superiority  of  this  edition  over  the  ephemeral  publications  of  the  day  consists 
in  fuller  and  more  authentic  accounts  of  his  family;  his  early  life  and  Indian  wars.  The 
narrative  of  his  proceedings  in  Mexico  is  drawn  partly  from  reliable  private  letters,  but 
chiefly  from  his  own  official  correspondence. 

"It  forms  a  cheap,  substantial  and  attractive  volume,  and  one  which  should  be  read 
at  the  fireside  of  every  family  who  desire  a  faithful  and  true  life  of  the  Old  General." 

N.  B.  Be  careful  to  order  Grigg,  Elliot  <$•  Co.'s  Illustrated  Editions  of  those  works. 


JUST  PUBLISHED, 
Illustrated  Editions  of  the  following  Works: 

GENERAL  TAYLOR  AND  HIS  STAFF; 

COMPRISING   MEMOIRS  OF  GENERALS 

TAYLOR,  WORTH,  WOOL  AND  BUTLER: 

COLS.  MAY,  CROSS,  CLAY,  HARDIN,  YELL,  HAYS, 

AND 

OTHER  DISTINGUISHED  OFFICERS  ATTACHED  TO  GENERAL  TAYLOR'S  ARMY. 
INTERSPERSED  WITH 

NUMEROUS  ANECDOTES  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR, 

AND 

PERSONAL  ADVENTURES  OF  THE  OFFICERS. 
Compiled  from  Public  Documents  and  Private  Correspondence. 

*"  WITH 

ACCURATE  PORTRAITS,  AND  OTHER  BEAUTIFUL  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

In  One  Volume,  12mo. 
10 


GENERAL  SCOTT  AND  HIS  STAFF; 

COMPRISING  MEMOIRS  OF  GENERALS 

SCOTT,  TWIGGS,  SMITH,  QUITMAN,  SHIELDS, 

PILLOW.  LANE.  CADWALADER,   PATTERSON 

AND   PIERCE; 
COLS.  CHILDS,  RILEY,  HARNEY  AND  BUTLER, 

AND  OTHER 

DISTINGUISHED  OFFICERS  ATTACHED  TO  GENERAL  SCOTT'S  ARMY; 

TOGETHER   WITH 

Notices  of  General  Kearney,  Colonel  Doniphan,  Colonel  Fre 
mont,  and  other  Officers  distinguished  in  the  Conquest 
of  California  and  New  Mexico. 

AND  PERSONAL  ADVENTURES  OF  THE  OFFICERS. 
Compiled  from  JPublic  Documents  and  Private  Correspondence. 

WITH 
ACCURATE  PORTRAITS,  AND  OTHER  BEAUTIFUL  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

In  one  volume,  I2mo. 


CAMP  LIFE  OF  A  VOLUNTEER. 

A  CAMPAIGN  IN  MEXICO  ; 
OR,  A  GLIMPSE  AT  LIFE  IN  CAMP. 

BY  "ONE  WHO  HAS  SEEN  THE  ELEPHANT." 


SONGS    FOR    THE    PEOPLE. 
Edited  by  ALBERT  G,  EMERICK,  Professor  of  Music, 

Illustrated  with  NUMEROUS  ENGRAVINGS,  from  Original  Designs, 
BY  W.  CROOME  &  CO.     1  vol.  8vo.,  scarlet  cloth. 


LIFE    OF    PAUL  JONES. 

In  One  Volume  12mo.,  with  One  Hundred  Illustrations. 

"  Life  of  Rear  Admiral  John  Paul  Jones,''  &c.  &c.,  by  James  Hamilton.  The  work  is 
compiled  from  his  original  journals  and  correspondence  ;  and  includes  an  account  of  his 
services  in  the  American  Revolution,  and  in  the  war  between  the  Russians  and  Turks 
in  the  Black  Sea.  There  is  scarcely  any  Naval  Hero  of  any  age  who  combined  in  his 
character  so  much  of  the  adventurous,  skilful  and  daring,  as  Paul  Jones.  The  incidents 
of  his  life  are  almost  as  startling  and  absorbing  as  those  of  romance.  His  achievements 
during  the  American  Revolution — the  fight  between  the  Bon  Homme  Richard  arid  Sera- 
pis,  the  most  desperate  naval  action  on  record,  and  the  alarm  into  which,  with  so  small 
a  force,  he  threw  the  coasts  of  England  and  Scotland,  are  matters  comparatively  well 
known  to  Americans;  but  the  incidents  of  his  subsequent  career  have  been  veiled  in 
obscurity,  which  is  dissipated  by  this  Biography.  A  book  like  this,  narrating  the  actions 
of  such  a  man,  ought  to  meet  with  an  extensive  sale,  and  become  as  popular  as  Robinson 
Crusoe  in  fiction,  or  Weems'1  Life  of  Marion  and  Washington,  and  similar  books  in  fact. 
It  contains  400  pages — has  a  handsome  portrait  and  medallion  likeness  of  Jones,  and  is 
illustrated  with  numerous  original  wood  engravings  of  naval  scenes  and  distinguished 
men  with  whom  he  was  familiar. 

L.  G.  Curtis,  Esq.,  editor  of  the  Commercial,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  speaking  of  this  work 
&c.,  observes  :— •• '  Life  of  Rear  Admiral  Paul  Jones,  illustrated  with  numerous  engrav 
ings  from  original  drawings.'  This  book  we  prize  above  any  in  our  possession.  John 
Paul  Jones  was  truly  an  extraordinary  man.  He  had  the  honor  to  hoist  with  his  own 
hands  the  flag  of  freedom,  the  first  time  it  was  displayed  in  the  Delaware,  and  in  after 
life  declared  that  he  attended  it  with  veneration  ever  after.  To  Paul  Jones  the  honor  of 
raisine  up  an  Americau  navy  belongs.  He  was  the  first  commander  in  the  world  who 
made  the  proud  fla^  of  England  '  come  down.'  His  life,  as  printed  by  Messrs.  Grigg, 
Elliot  &  Co.,  should  ue  in  the  hands  of  every  intelligent  American." 


The  Life  and  Opinions  of  Tristram  Shandy,  Gentleman, 

COMPRISING   THE  HUMOROUS  ADVENTURES  OF 

UNCLE  TOBY   AND    CORPORAL1  TRIM. 

BY  L.  STERNE. 
Beautifully  illustrated  by  Darley,  stitched. 

A  SEJVTIMEUTTAL,  JOURNEY,  BY  I,.  STERNE. 

Illustrated  as  above,  by  Darley,  stitched. 

The  beauties  of  this  author  are  so  well  known,  and  his  errors  in  style  and  expression 
so  few  and  far  between,  that  one  reads  with  renewed  delight  his  delicate  turns,  &c. 

THE   LIFE  OF   GENERAL   JACKSON. 
WITH  A  LIKENESS  OF  THE  OLD  HERO.    1  Volume  ISmo. 


A  COMPLETE  DICTIONARY 

POETICAL   QUOTATIONS: 

COMPRISING  THE   MOST   EXCELLENT   AND   APPROPRIATE   PASSAGES 

IN   THE 

OLD  BRITISH  POETS: 

WITH   CHOICE  AND  COPIOUS  SELECTIONS 

FROM    THE    BEST 

MODERN  BRITISH  AND  AMERICAN  POETS. 

EDITED    BY 

SARAH  JOSEPHA  HALE. 

As  nightingales  do  upon  glow-worms  feed. 
So  poets  live  upon  the  living  light 
Of  Nature  and  of  Beauty. 

Bailey's  Festus. 

Beautifully  illustrated  with  engravings.   In  one  super-royal 
8vo.  volume,  in  various  bindings. 

The  publishers  extract,  from  the  many  highly  complimentary  notices  of  the  above  valuable  and 
beautiful  work,  the  following : 

"  We  have  at  last  a  volume  of  Poetical  Quotations  worthy  of  the  name.  It  contains  nearly  six  hun 
dred  octavo  pages,  carefully  and  tastefully  selected  from  all  the  home  and  foreign  authors  of  celebrity. 
It  is  invaluable  to  a  writer,  while  to  the  ordinary  reader  it  presents  every  subject  at  a  glance."—  Gvdey's 
Lady's  Book. 

"The  plan  or  idea  of  Mrs.  Hale's  work  is  felicitous.  It  is  one  for  which  her  fine  taste,  her  orderly 
habits  of  mind,  and  her  long  occupation  with  literature,  has  given  her  peculiar  facilities ;  and  thoroughly 
has  she  accomplished  her  task  in  the  work  before  us." — Sartain's  Magazine. 

"It  is  a  choice  collection  of  poetical  extracts  from  every  English  and  American  author,  worth  perus 
ing,  from  the  days  of  Chaucer  to  the  present  time."—  Washington  Union. 

"  Its  graceful  editress,  in  her  short  preface,  thus  speaks,  and  most  truly,  of  its  contents  :  "  Whatever 
is  loveliest  in  sentiment  and  loftiest  in  aspiration  is  here  represented  :  specimens  of  the  varied  Conns 
in  which  gifted  minds  have  contributed  to  the  polish  of  wit,  the  beauty  of  wisdom,  tlie  sweetness  of 
love,  the  power  of  patriotism,  the  holiness  of  piety  —  all  that  has  most  deeply  stirred  the  soul  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  race  for  the  last  three  hundred  years,  is  here  embodied  "  It  contains  copious  selections 
from  all  the  standard  British  and  American  Poets  upon  almost  every  subject  within  the  range  of  thought. 
The  subjects  are  arranged  alphabetically,  and  a  "  Table  of  Contents"  at  the  commencement  renders 
reference  to  them  perfectly  easy."— New  Hampshire  Palnot. 

"There  is  nothing  negative  about  this  work ;  it  is  positively  good." — Evening  Bulletin. 


*#*  Public,  private  and  social  libraries,  and  all  who  purchase  to  sell  again,  supplied  on 
the  most  reasonable  terms  with  every  article  in  the  Book  and  Stationery  line  ;  including 
new  novels,  and  all  new  works  in  every  department  of  literature  and  science. 

fjy  Particular  attention  will  also  be  paid  to  all  orders,  through  country  merchants, or 
by  mail,  for  Law,  Medical  and  Miscellaneous  Books,  for  public  and  private  libraries, 
and  no  effort  will  be  spared  to  complete  all  such  orders  on  the  most  reasonable  terms. 
13 


TO  ALL  TEACHERS  AND  SCHOOL  COMMITTEES. 

NEW  AND 
POPULAR  SCHOOL  BOOKS, 

PUBLISHED  BY 

LIPPINCOTT,   GRAMBO   &  Co. 
SUCCESSORS  TO  GRIGG,  ELLIOT  &  Co. 

The  attention  of  Teachers,  School  Committees,  and  all  interested  in  good  education,  is 
solicited  to  the  following  School  Books,  which  are  for  sale  by  Booksellers  and  Country 
Merchants  generally— with  testimony  from  numerous  Teachers,  and  others  who  have  prac 
tically  tested  these  Books  in  the  School  Room,  or  carefully  examined  them. 


THE  AMERICAN   MANUAL; 

A  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES  OF  NORTH  AMERICA, 

WITH  QUESTIONS,  DEFINITIONS,  AND  MARGINAL  EXERCISES, 

Adapted  to  the  use  of  Schools.    1  vol.  12mo. 
BY  J.  BARTLETT  BURLEIG-H.  A.  M. 


July  7th,  1848. 

Messrs.  GRIUG,  ELLIOT,  &  Co.— Dear  Sirs :  I  have  examined  the  "American  Manual" 
by  President  Burleigh,  and  find  it  to  be  just  the  book  that  is  wanted  in  our  schools  ;  and  I 
may  add,  in  every  private  library.  Amidst  all  the  boasted  light  of  the  present  day,  there 
is  really  great  deficiency  in  several  departments.  A  knowledge  of  figures,  whether  of 
Arithmetic  or  Rhetoric,  will  not  make  able  statesmen  nor  sensible  voters. 

While  all  proclaim  that  our  existence,  as  a  free  nation,  depends  on  the  intelligence  of  the 
people,  little  comparatively  is  doing  to  reduce  this  idea  to  practice  in  our  seminaries  of 
learning.  x 

If  this  great  evil  is  owing  to  the  want  heretofore  of  suitable  books,  the  "American  Ma 
nual"  cannot  fail  to  be  extensively  used.  Yours,  <fcc. 

LEWIS  W.  BURNET, 
Principal  of  Academy,  Cor.  of  4th  and  Vine  Sts.,  Philadelphia. 

JVov.  Uth,  1848. 

I  have  examined  Burleigh's  American  Manual,  and  take  pleasure  in  saying  that  it  is  a 
book  well  calculated  to  interest  the  young.  It  seems  to  me,  that  the  marginal  exercises, 
as  well  as  the  subjects  of  the  work,  cannot  fail  to  secure  attention,  and  excite  a  profitable 
inquiry  in  the  mind  of  the  student.  I  am  also  much  pleased  with  "  Smith's  New  Common 
School  Geography ;"  it  is  simple,  and  sufficiently  full  in  its  explanations  as  a  primary  trea 
tise  on  geography,  and  introduces  the  learner  at  once  to  the  elementary  knowledge  of  this 
important  branch  of  education,  without  the  incumbrance  of  matter,  tending  to  bewilder, 
rather  than  to  instruct  the  mind  of  youth. 

I  intend  to  introduce  both  of  the  above  works  into  the  School  under  my  charge,  as  soon 
as  practicable. 

WM.  B.  HARWOOD, 
Principal  of  Richmond  Lancasterian  School. 


(Copy}. 

Baltimore,  October  5th,  1848. 

The  American  Manual,  by  Joseph  Bartlett  Burleigh,  A.  M.,  has  been  introduced  by  the 
Commissioners  of  the  Public  Schools  into  the  Central  High  School,  and  the  two  Female 
High  Schools  of  Baltimore. 

J.  W.  TILYARD, 
Clerk  of  Commissioners  of  Public  Schools. 


Baltimore,  March  Wh,  1849. 

This  is  to  certify  that  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  the  Public  Schools  for  Baltimore 
County,  have  adopted  the  American  Manual  by  J.  B.  Burleigh,  as  a  text-book,  to  be  used 
in  the  schools  under  their  direction.  This  Board  has  under  its  control  over  sixty  schools 
located  throughout  Baltimore  County. 

WILSON  C.  N.  CARR, 
Clerk  to  the  Board  of  School  Commissioners  for  Baltimore  County. 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  Leroy  G.  Edwards,  President  of  the  Board  of  Public  School 
Commissioners  for  Norfolk  County,  Virginia.  "  I  consider  the  American  Manual  a  deside 
ratum  which  had  not  been  before  supplied,  and  respectfully  recommend  that  it  be  used 
generally  in  every  District  Free  School  in  this  county." 


Norfolk  Academy,  January  Gth,  1849. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  John  B.  Strange,  A.  M.,  and  R.  B.  Tschudi,  A.M.,  Principals  of 
the  Norfolk  Academy,  Virginia.  "  We  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  it  (the  American  Ma 
nual)  one  of  the  best  School-books  we  have  ever  examined,  not  only  as  regards  the  matter, 
but  also  the  manner  of  communicating  it.  The  Manual  is  adapted  to  the  capacity  of  tin: 
youngest,  and  must  prove  highly  interesting  and  instructive  to  the  oldest  pupils.  It  com 
muriicates  information  which  every  American  should  possess,  in  a  style  so  clear,  arid  by  a 
plan  so  admirable,  that  the  work  must  commend  itself  to  all  who  become  acquainted  with 
its  merits.  We  shall  introduce  it  into  this  institution,  and  hope  that  the  Schools  through 
out  the  country  will  not  fail  to  appreciate  its  worth,  and  adopt  it  at  the  earliest  moment 
as  one  of  their  text-books." 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  Hon.  Colman  Yellot.  "  I  sincerely  hope  that  the  American  Ma 
nual  may  become  a  standard  text-book  in  all  our  schools.  But  it  is  a  work  designed  not 
merely  for  the  perusal  of  the  young.  Its  peculiar  beauty  of  style,  and  the  great  amount 
of  useful  information  collected  in  BO  convenient  a  form,  should  render  it  a  favourite  book 
of  reference  for  the  legislator,  the  politician,  and  the  general  reader." 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  Alexander  Campbell,  D.D.,  L.L.D.,  President  of  Bethany  Col 
lege,  Virginia.  "  The  American  Manual  is  an  admirable  text-book  for  teacher  and  pupil, 
on  the  various  important  subjects  so  essential  to  the  American  scholar  and  statesman." 


(Copy}. 

Steubcnville,  Ohio,  May  17th,  1849. 

Messrs.  GRIGO,  ELLIOT  &  Co. :  We,  the  undersigned,  Teachers  of  the  Public  Schools  in 
the  city  of  Steubenville,  find,  on  trial,  that  Burleigh's  American  Manual  is  the  best  book 
with  which  we  are  acquainted  for  waking  up  the  mind  of  youth,  for  training  them  to  un 
derstand  what  they  read,  for  leading  them  to  investigate  and  reason  for  themselves,  thereby 
thoroughly  fitting  them  for  the  duties  of  after  life.  The  school,  the  infallible  test  of  the 
merits  of  a  class-book,  proves  that  its  proper  use  need  only  be  witnessed  to  receive  the 
approbation  of  every  friend  of  thorough  education. 

M.  A.  WALKER,  WM.  McCAY, 

M.  KIDDO,  FRANCIS  TURNER 

M.  HULL,  I.  B.  BUTLER, 

J.  BROWN,  E.  KELL, 

•M.  ALLEN,  M.  ORR. 


Lawrenceville,  Pa.,  May  5th,  1849. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Directors  of  the  Borough  of  Lawrenceville  Public  Schools,  the  fol- 
lowin<*  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted.  Resolved,  That  the  American  Manual  be 
adopted  as  a  class-book,  and  that  the  teachers  be  instructed  to  form  classes  in  the  same. 

WM.  E.  JANCEY,  Secretary. 

Allegheny  City,  May  31s«,  1849. 

Having  examined  the  American  Manual,  by  J.  B.  Burleigh,  and  having  used  it  as  a  text 
book  in  our  classes  in  the  Public  Schools  of  this  city,  we  think  it  a  work  of  superior  merit. 
The  subject,  the  style,  the  marginal  exercises,  the  questions  at  the  foot  of  each  page,  the 
appendix,  and  the  statistical  tables,  are  such  as  to  make  the  work  complete.  In  the'hands 
of  the  judicious  teacher,  it  will  be  found  the  very  book  needed.  Signed  by 

j  A.  COVKLL,  A.  T.  DOUTHETT, 

E.  FRAZLER,  JNO.  BTERRIT, 

M.  WILSON,  WM.  M.  HASTINGS, 

JAS.  B.  D.  MEEDS,  LEONARD  H.  EATON 

Principal  of'2d  Ward  Boys'1  School,  Pittslurg. 

JAMES  ANDERSON, 
Principal  of  Pittsburgh  Academy,  and  many  other  Principals  of  Schools  arid  .Academies. 

(Copy). 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  School  Commissioners  of  the  city  of  Wheeling,  Va.,  held 
at  the  Court  House,  June  14th,  1849,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  unanimously: 
Resolved,  That  the  American  Manual,  by  Jos.  Bartlett  Burleigh,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby 
adopted  as  a  text-book,  to  be  used  in  the  Public  Schools  of  this  city. 

Attest :  GEO.  W.  SIGHTS, 

Clerk  of  Board  of  School  Commissioners. 


Pittslurg,  June  5th,  1849. 

We,  the  undersigned,  teachers  in  the  Public  Schools  of  Pittsburg,  have  used  Burleigh's 
American  Manual  with  great  satisfaction  and  delight.  The  plan  of  the  work  is  in  all 
respects  judicious.  The  marginal  exercises  are  a  novel  and  original  feature.  They  are 
arranged  with  great  accuracy  and  discrimination.  Their  use  not  only  excites  the  liveliest 
interest  among  the  pupils,  but  produces  great  salutary  and  lasting  effects  in  arousing  the 
mental  powers,  and  leading  the  scholars  constantly  to  investigate,  reason,  and  judge  for 
themselves.  The  Manual  is  elegantly  written,  and  must  have  the  effect  to  give  a  taste  to 
what  is  pure  and  lofty  in  English  literature.  Throughout  the  entire  work  the  strictest 
regard  is  inculcated  for  the  purest  morality. 

B.  M.  KERR,  SAM'L  C.  HARPER, 

J.  WHITTIER,  M.  H.  EATON, 

N.  VERNON, 
Professor  of  Mathematics  and  English  Literature  in  Frederick  College. 

And,  many  other  Principals  of  Sc /tools  and  Academies. 


Newtown,  Princess  Jlnnc  County,  Virginia,  July  27«A.  1849. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Wm.  Roberts,  Esq.,  President  of  the  Board  of  School  Commis 
sioners  of  Princess  Anne  County,  Virginia.  "  The  Board  of  School  Commissioners,  of  this 
county,  held  a  meeting  about  three  weeks  ago,  and  passed  a  resolution  that  the  American 
Manual  be  introduced  into  our  Schools.  The  popularity  of  the  Manual,  upon  examination 
by  so  large  a  number  of  our  citizens,  almost  surprises  me  ;  for  not  only  the  School  Com 
missioners  have  road  it,  but  a  great  number  of  our  citizens.  I  consider  it  the  best  book  for 
training  the  young  mind,  in  the  earlier  stages  of  its  education,  I  have  ever  seen." 


Eastville,  Northampton  County,  Virginia,  Feb.  Zlth,  1849. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Rev.  H.  Galpin,  Principal  of  the  High  School  at  Eastville, 
Northampton  County,  Virginia.  "  My  scholars  have  fallen  in  love  with  the  Manual,  and 
their  improvement  delightfully  corresponds.  If  I  do  not  mistake,  it  will  be  appreciated 
and  introduced  into  Schools  just  in  proportion  as  it  becomes  known.  It  ought  to  be  in 
every  family  and  in  every  library." 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Dr.  J.  Patrick,  President  of  Madison  College.  "  The  American 
Manual  is  evidently  the  labor  of  a  mind  devoted  to,  and  understanding  the  instruction  of 
youth  ;  the  plan  is  a  most  excellent  one ;  the  questions  and  marginal  notes  being  of  incal 
culable  service  to  the  pupil;  while  at  the  same  time  the  author's  exposition  combines  the 
utmost  perspicuity,  precision,  and  clearness,  making  very  attractive  the  study  of  those 
great  principles  which  are  the  soul  of  the  charter  of  our  liberties.  I  have  no  doubt  but  it 
can  be  advantageously  used  as  the  highest  class  reader  in  all  our  schools." 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  B.  Everitt  Smith,  Esq.  "  1  doubt  \\  nether  the  ingenuity  of  man 
can  ever  devise  a  work  better  adapted  to  the  purpose  avowed  by  the  author.  1  arose  from 
the  perusal  of  the  American  Manual  more  deeply  impressed  than  ever  with  my  responsi 
bility  as  a  citizen,  and  with  the  absolute  importance  of  fostering  sound  virtue  and  politi 
cal  morality." 


From  L.  T.  Cowell,  Esq.,  late  Teacher  of  Mathematics,  Ypsilanti  Seminary,  Michigan. 
"Having  carefully  examined  the  American  Manual  by  President  Burleigh,  A.M.,  and  hav 
ing  used  it  as  a  text-book  (the  best  test  of  its  merits),  I  deem  it  a  work  of  superior  merii. 
As  a  Commentary  on  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  it  is  of  high  intrinsic  worth. 
The  directions  upon  the  method  of  instruction — the  subject,  the  style,  the  marginal  exer 
cises,  the  appendix  (a  key.  to  the  whole  work),  the  statistical  tables,  and  the  questions  at 
the  foot  of  each  page,  fully  meet  the  wants  of  the  pupil  and  teacher.  The  points  treated 
of,  the  language,  and  the  plan  of  the  work,  make  it  complete.  It  is  of  the  highest  order, 
Its  merits  commend  it  to  universal  approbation." 

Having  examined  the  American  Manual,  we  fully  concur  in  the  opinion  of  Professor  I.. 
T.  Cowell,  and  have  adopted  it  as  a  text-book  in  our  schools. 

JOHN  COWAN, 
Principal  of  the  Public  High  School,  Manchester,  Pennsylvania. 

JOHN  B.  CALHOON. 
Principal  of  the  Manchester  Select  School. 

B.  M.  WILLIAMS, 
4th  Ward  Male  High  School,  Alleghany  City. 

From  the  Frcderickslturg,  Virginia,  Herald. 

"  The  plan  of  the  work  is  eminently  original.  It  possesses  a  kind  of  railroad  facility  in 
arousing  the  minda  of  youth;  and  no  one  who  is  entrusted  with  the  education  of  the 
rising  generation,  should  be  ignorant  of  its  contents,  or  a  stranger  to  its  thorough  and 
efficient  mode  of  imparting  knowledge. 

"  But,  independently  of  the  admirable  arrangement  as  a  School  Book,  it  is  worthy  of  the 
most  careful  perusal  of  all,  and  ought  to  be  in  every  family.  It  contains  a  condensed, 
lucid,  exact,  and  comprehensive  view  of  our  social  and  political  institutions. 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  Judge  Jno.  C.  Legrand.  "TheManu.il  is  entirely  new  in  its 
design,  and  to  a  very  considerable  extent  secures  for  the  young  student,  what  I  regard  of 
the  first  importance,  the  thorough  understanding  of  his  lessons.  It  is  not  merely  the 
memory  of  the  pupil  that  is  tried  by  its  lessons,  but  all  the  other  faculties  are  also  put  in 
requisition.  The  design  of  the  book  requires  that  the  pupil  shall  understand  as  well  as 
recollect." 


SMITH'S  NEW  COMMON  SCHOOL  GEOGRAPHIES. 


THE  CHILD'S  FIRST  BOOK  IN  GEOGRAPHY. 

DESIGNED  AS  AN  INTRODUCTION  TO 

R.  M.  SMITH'S  COMMON  SCHOOL  GEOGRAPHY. 

A  small  Quarto,  illustrated  by  numerous  Maps,  on  a  new  and  improved  plan,  and  over 
One  Hundred  beautiful  and  original  Cuts,  forming  the  most  complete  and  attractive 
Primary  Geography  yet  published  in  this  country.  This  elementary  work,  as  also  the 
larger  School  Geography  named  below,  contains  as  much  or  more  Geographical  informa 
tion,  and  better  arranged,  than  any  other  Geographies  now  used  in  the  schools  of  this 
country;  for  the  truth  of  which  the  publishers  particularly  request  all  teachers  to  exa 
mine  for  themselves.  Copies  for  examination  will  be  furnished  gratis. 


SMITH'S  NEW  COMMON  SCHOOL  GEOGRAPHY. 

Illustrated  with  numerous  engravings,  and  particularly  adapted  for  all  Common  Schools, 
Academies,  &c.  This  is  a  new  work,  and  all  persons  ordering,  will  please  say,  Grii-fr, 
Elliot  <fc  Co.'s  Edition  of  Smith's  Geography. 

There  is  no  School  Book  ever  issued  from  the  American  press,  that  is  more  highly  recom 
mended  than  this  invaluable  elementary  work  ;  and  it  will  be  universally  introduced  into 
all  the  Private  and  Public  Schools  in  the  United  States,  if  real  merit  is  taken  into  consi 
deration,  and  all  Teachers  are  particularly  requested  to  give  it  a  candid  examination. 


Testimony^froin  numerous  distinguished  teachers  and  others,  who  have  practically  tested 
their  value  as  School  Books. 

June  23<f,  1849. 

From  Jno.  McClusky,  D.D.,  Principal  of  the  Academy  and  Normal  School.  West  Alex 
andria,  Pennsylvania. 

Messrs.  GRIGG,  ELLIOT  &  Co.  Having  used  R.  M.  Smith's  Q,uarto  Geography  in  the 
Academy  of  West  Alexandria,  for  some  time,  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  recommend  it  to  the 
attention  of  all  Common  District  Schools,  Academies,  and  even  Colleges,  as  decidedly  a 
work  of  great  merit. 

JOHN  McCLUSKY. 


Richmond,  Nov.  13fA,  1848. 

Dear  Sirs:  I  have  devoted  all  my  leisure  to  the  books  left  with  me.  Smith's  Common 
School  Geography  is  the  best  system  /  have  ever  examined.  I  know  of  no  book  so  well 
adapted  as  the  American,  to  aid  the  instructor  in  teaching  hoys  to  think,— without  which 
there  can  be,  in  truth,  no  education.  Very  truly  yours, 

R.  N.  POX, 
Teacher  of  the  Classical  and  Mathematical  ScJiool,  Southeast  corner  of  Capitol  Square. 


The  following  teachers  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  have  also  recommended  and  introduced 
R.  M.  Smith's  Geography  in  their  Schools  and  Academies. 

H.  PORTERF1ELD  TAYLOR, 

Principal  of  Union  Academy. 
JUDITH  A.  BREEDEN, 

Select  School. 

MISS  AUSTIS  MAGEE.  SUSANNAH  H.  BURTON, 

E.  G.  STARKE,  CAROLINE  H.  GAY, 

A.  B.  SMITH,  ELIZABETH  L.  READ, 

ABIAH  S.  HILLER,  C.  A.  STANFIELD, 

M.  H.  SMITH,  A.  LYON, 

MARY  F.  ANDERSON,  WILLIAM  S.  FISHER. 

Norfolk,  Virginia,  Jan.  9th,  1849. 

We  have  carefully  and  critically  examined  R.  M.  Smith's  Geography,  and  give  it  a 
decided  preference  over  all  other  works  of  the  kind,  and  have  introduced  it  into  our 
Schools. 

H.  HUTCHINSON,  HOPE  BAIN, 

W.  S.  FORREST,  ELIZA  M.  RAMSAY, 

WILLIAM  WHITE,  A.  E.  BROWN, 

E.  G.  NEWSUND,  LAURA  L.  DANIEL, 

ANN  DORER,  Teachers. 

Petersburg,  Va.  Nov.  3rf,  1849. 
We  have  introduced  R.  M.  Smith's  Geography  into  our  Schools. 

S.  PARRISH,  ABIGAIL  ROCKWELL, 

W.  W.  CAMPBELL,  G.  M.  F.  BASS, 

Teachers. 


We  have  introduced  R.  M.  Smith's  Geography  into  our  Schools. 
JAMES  CHART/TON,  Newberry,  Pa. 
JOHN  TOBIN,  Boyrstown,  Bedford  Co.,  Ps. 
JACOB  LANDIS,  York,  Pa. 
JOSEPH  H.  THOMPSON,  York,  Pa. 
W.  G.  MITCHELL,  York,  Pa. 
A.  IRWIN,  McConnelsbunr,  Pa. 

SAMUEL  ARTHUR,  Gluey  Classical  School,  Phila,  Co,,  Pa. 
S.  SHIRLEY,  Fayetteville,  Pa. 
M.  J.  BO  YD,  Lancaster,  Pa. 
PHOEBE  PAINE,  Carlisle,  Fa. 
W.  H.  BLAIR,  Orrsburg,  Pa. 
JAMES  M.  ALEXANDER,  Bedford,  Pa. 
'M.  J.  LAVERTY,  Shippensburg,  Pa. 
THOMAS  W.  MOPRIS,  Plainfield,  Pa. 


6 
WALKER'S  SCHOOL  AND  FAMILY   DICTIONARY. 

NEW   EDITION. 

FROM   NEW   STEREOTYPE   PLATES, 

GREATLY  IMPROVED,  AND  PRINTED  ON  WHITE  PAPER. 

A  CRITICAL  PRONOUNCING  DICTIONARY 

AND 

EXPOSITOR  OF  THE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE, 

IN  WHICH  THE  MEANING  OF  EYERY  WORD  IS  EXPLAINED,  AND  THE 
SOUND  OP  EVERY  SYLLABLE  DISTINCTLY  SHOWN. 

TO  WHICH  ARE  PREFIXED  AN  ABSTRACT  OF  ENGLISH  PRONUNCIATION,  AND  DIREC 
TIONS  TO  FOREIGNERS  FOR  ACQUIRING  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  USE 
OF  THIS  DICTIONARY. 

BY  JOHN    WALKER, 

Author  of  "  Elements  of  Elocution,"  "  Rhyming  Dictionary,"  &c.&c. 
Abridged  for  the  use  of  Schools,  by  an  American  Citizen. 

P.  S.    This  is  a  new  edition,  on  fine  paper,  and  improved  in  printing  and  binding.    Pa 
rents  and  Teachers  will  please  examine  and  order  Grigg,  Elliot  &  Co.'s  Improved  Edition, 

CHAMBER  OF  THE  CONTROLLERS  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS, 
FIRST  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  OF  PENNSYLVANIA, 

Philadelphia,  March  15,  J848. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Controllers  of  Public  Schools,  First  School  District  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  held  at  the  Controllers'  Chamber,  on  Tuesday,  March  14th,  the  following  resolution 
was  adopted : — 

Resolved,  That  '•  Walker's  Critical  Pronouncing  Dictionary,'1''  published  by  Grigg,  Elliot, 
A:  Co.,  be  adopted  for  use  in  the  Public  Schools. 

THOMAS  B.  FLORENCE,  Secretary. 
Certified  from  the  Minutes. 
Messrs.  GRIGG,  ELLIOT  &.  Co. 

An  eminent  writer,  and  a  good  judge  of  the  value  of  Dictionaries,  observes  as  fol 
lows  : — 

We  have  received  from  the  publishers.  Messrs.  Grigg,  Elliot  &  Co.,  No.  14  North  Fourth 
Street,  a  copy  of  their  new  and  handsome  edition  of  Walker's  Critical  Pronouncing  Die 
tionary  for  Schools.  The  present  edition  is  decidedly  the  best  and  most  convenient  we 
have  ever  seen,  both  in  regard  to  the  size  of  the  type  on  which  it  is  printed,  and  the  style 
and  form  in  which  it  is  issued.  It  has  been  "  got  up"  in  a  handsome  and  substantial  man 
ner,  expressly  for  schools — has  been  greatly  improved  and  made  better  in  every  respect  for 
teachers  and  scholars.  All  teachers  who  have  any  regard  for  their  eyos  and  the  eyes  of 
their  scholars,  would  find  it  to  their  advantage  to  use  this  edition,  printed  a*  it  is  from 
new  stereotype  plates  and  on  clean  white  paper.  The  edition  is  for  sale  by  booksellers 
and  country  merchants  generally  throughout  the  United  States. 


BIGLAND'S  NATURAL  HISTORY 

OF  ANIMALS,  BIRDS,  FISHES,  REPTILES,  AND  INSECTS, 

ILLUSTRATED    WITH   NUMEROUS   AND   BEAUTIFUL  ENGRAVINGS. 
BY  JOHN  BIGLAND, 

Author  of  a  "View  of  the  World,"  "Letters  on  Universal  History,"  &c.    Complete  in 
1  vol.  r2mo.,  with  Questions. 

This  work  is  particularly  adapted  for  the  use  of  Schools  and  Families,  forming  the  most 
elegantly  written  and  complete  work  on  the  subject  of  Natural  History  ever  published, 
and  is  worthy  of  the  ppecial  attention  of  the  teachers  of  all  our  schools  and  academies. 


ORI«G    &    ELLIOT'S 

NEW  SERIES  OF 

COMMON  SCHOOL  READERS, 

Numbers  First,  Second,  Third,  Fourth  and  Fifth, 

THESE  BOOKS  ARE  PARTICULARLY  ADAPTED  FOR  AN  INTRODUCTION 

IiMTO  THE 

SCHOOLS  GENERALLY  IN  THE  SOUTH  AND  WEST; 

AND 

TEACHERS    WHO   FEEL   A    DEEP    INTEREST  IN    PROMOTING 
THE  WELFARE  OF  THEIR  PUPILS, 

WILL,  NO  DOUBT, 

AFTER  A  CAREFUL  EXAMINATION,  GIVE  THEM  THE  PREFERENCE  OVER  ALL  OTHER 
READERS  NOW  IN  USE. 

D3-  Parents  and  Teachers  will  please  read  the  following  notice  of  this  inva 
luable  series  of  Elementary  School  Books. 

We  called  attention  to  the  above-named  series  of  Common  School  books  several  weeks 
since,  when  publishing  an  advertisement  for  the  sale  of  them  by  some  of  our  merchants. 
Since  that  time  we  have  had  opportunity  10  give  them  a  thorough  examination,  and  we 
feel  it  due  to  the  community  in  which  we  live,  and  the  proprietors  of  those  interesting 
publications,  to  notice  them  more  particularly.  They  certainly  contribute  a  valuable 
addition  to  our  stock  of  elementary  literature;  in  their  plan  and  details  presenting  an 
intimate  acquaintance  with  the  necessities  that  demanded  their  production,  and  develop 
ing,  in  their  prosecution,  a  wisdom  and  /eal  in  adapting  the  material  at  hand  to  the  attain 
ment  of  the  object  in  view,  every  way  worthy  of  commendation  and  confidence. 

The  First  Class  Reader  is  exactly  such  a  book  as  would  interest  and  impress  the  minds 
and  hearts  of  little  boys  and  girls.  Composed  of  short  and  easy  words,  embodying  plea 
sant  and  profitable  instruction,  it  is  just  the  thing  for  infant  learners,  who  find  in  it  such 
words  as  they  can  readily  pronounce,  and  such  ideas  as  they  can  easily  comprehend. 
In  the  Second  and  Third  Class  Readers  the  style  increases  in  the  intricacy  of  diction  and 
the  elevation  of  sentiment,  in  beautiful  consistency  with  the  progress  of  attentive  and 
studious  pupils,  in  the  more  advanced  stages  of  primary  school  education.  The  Fourth 
Class  Reader  is  an  invaluable  compendium  of  deeply  interesting  and  instructive  facts, 
arguments  and  inferences,  drawn  from  that  unfailing  repository  of  truth,  the  history  of 
the  men  and  manners  of  by-gone  times.  It  is  a  reprint  of  the  "Beauties  of  History." 
consisting  of  anecdotes  of  men  and  women  made  illustrious  by  the  splendor  of  their 
talents  and  virtues,  or  rendered  eternally  infamous  by  the  vileness  of  their  characters 
and  crimes.  It  is,  therefore,  a  fit  companion  for  those  who  are  completing  their  term  of 
study,  preparatory  to  entering  the  great  arena  of  life;  inviting  and  encouraging  them  by 
the  bright  example  of  the  good,  to  walk  in  wisdom's  narrow  path,  and  warning  them,  by 
the  wretchedness  and  ruin  of  the  vicious,  from  entering  the  broad  road  of  sin  and  death. 

After  the  table  of  contents  of  the  Second  Reader,  is  a  chapter  giving  directions  for  the 
attainment  of  a  correct  and  elegant  style  of  reading,  the  great  importance  of  which  all 
know  the  value  of,  but  few  attain.  For  the  truth  of  these  remarks,  we  refer  to  the  books 
themselves. 

THE     FIFTH     READER. 

OU"  The  Publishers  have  received  numerous  recommendations  of  the  great  value  of 
This  work  as  a  school  book,  and  they  all  state,  ''  it  is  just  the  Book  that  is  wanted  In,  our 
schools,  and  in  every  private  library,1' and  that  the  work  should  be  extensively  intro 
duced  into  all  our  schools  and  academies. 

MOODEY'S  BOOK-KEEPING, 

A  PRACTICAL  PLAN  OF  BOOK-KEEPING, 
BY  DOUBLE  ENTRY. 


ANSLEY'S  ELEMENTS  OF  LITERATURE; 

OK, 

AN  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  STUDY  OF  RHETORIC  AND  BELLES-LETTRES. 

BY  E.   A.   ANSLEY,  A.M. 
Half  Cloth,  1  vol.  12mo. 


MURRAY'S  EXERCISES -AND  KEY, 

ADAPTED  TO  HIS  GRAMMAR. 

JLIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  STEREOTYPE  EDITION. 


SMILEY'S  ARITHMETICAL  RULES  AND  TABLES 

FOR  YOUNG  BEGINNERS. 

This  is  the  best  work  of  the  kind  now  in  print ;  but  teachers  are  particu- 
.arly  requested  to  examine  for  themselves. 


SMILEY'S  ARITHMETIC, 

OR  THE  NEW  FEDERAL  CALCULATOR,  in  Dollars  and  Cents. 

This  work  contains,  among  other  important  improvements,  Questions  on  the 
Rules  and  Theory  of-Arithmetic,  which  are  considered  by  teachers  generally 
very  conducive  to  the  improvement  of  the  pupil.  Although  a  prejudice  ex 
ists  among  some  teachers  in  favor  of  the  old  works  on  Arithmetic,  yet  the 
very  liberal  patronage  which  this  work  has  received,  must  be  considered  as 
decisive  evidence  of  the  great  estimation  in  which  it  is  held  by  most  of  the 
instructors  of  youth.  Upwards  of  500,000  copies  have  been  printed  and  sold. 
The  sums  being  altogether  in  dollars  and  cents,  gives  it  a  decided  preference 
over  any  other  arithmetic  in  use.  The  most  distinguished  teachers  of  our 
city  pronounce  it  superior  to  any  other  like  work  ;  therefore  the  publishers 
sincerely  hope  this  useful  improvement  will  overcome  the  prejudice  that  many 
teachers  have  to  introducing  new  works — particularly  those  preceptors  who 
wish  to  discharge  their  duty  faithfully  to  parent  and  child. 


A  KEY  TO  THE  ABOVE  ARITHMETIC, 

In  which  all  the  examples  necessary  for  a  learner  are  wrought  at  large,  and  also 
solutions  given  of  all  the  various  rules.  Designed  principally  to  facilitate  the 
labor  of  teachers,  and  assist  such  as  have  not  the  opportunity  of  a  tutor's  aid. 


AN  ETYMOLOGICAL 
DICTIONARY  OF  THE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE, 

BY    WILLIAM    GRIM  SHAW. 

TIIIKD  EDITION,  IN  ONE  VOL.  12MO. 

The  compiler  of  this  book,  in  his  Preface,  runs  over  the  leading  influences  which  have 
been  at  work  in  the  formation  of  the  language,  and  points  significantly  to  the  study  of 
derivations  for  a  correct  and  ready  use  of  words.  The  advantage  of  his  work  is  that  so 
much  is  done  in  so  small  a  space.  In  one  volume  of  about  three  hundred  pages,  there  is 
really  a  vast  amount  of  matter,  the  study  of  which  could  not  fail  to  benefit  the  style  of 
nine-tenths  of  the  (so  called)  exact  writers  of  the  day.  The  author's  distinction  of  the 
use  of  the  two  great  divisions  of  our  language  by  the  "higher  classes  and  the  common 
people,"  in  his  Preface,  requires  some  qualification.  Good  authors  and  talkers  may  be 
known  by  their  frequent  use,  not  of  Greek,  Lntin,  or  French,  but  of  Saxon  words. 


BHIMSHAW'S  LADIES'  LEXICON  &  PARLOR  COMPANION; 

CONTAINING 

Nearly  every  word  in  the  English  Language,  and  exhibiting  the  Plurals 
of  Nouns  and  the  Participles  of  Verbs;  being  also  particularly  adapt 
ed  to  the  use  of  Academies  and  Schools. 

BY  WILLIAM  GRIMSHAW,  ESQ. 

In  the  Nashville  Republican,  we  observe  the  following  notice  of  this  very  use 
ful  book:— 

In  recommending  the  "Ladies' Lexicon,"  therefore,  to  all  our  readers,  male  and  fe 
male,  who  have  ever  experienced  the  difficulties  which  it  is  so  admirably  calculated  to 
remedy,  we  but  do  an  ordinary  act  of  justice  to  the  author  and  publisher.  We  consider 
the  "Ladies'  Lexicon,"  and  recommend  it  to  our  readers,  as  a  work  that  possesses  supe 
rior  claims  on  their  attention  and  patronage. 


THE  GENTLEMAN'S  LEXICON,  OR  POCKET  DICTIONARY, 

CONTAINING 

Nearly  every  word  in  the  English  Language,  and  exhibiting  the  Plurals 
of  Nouns  and  the  Participles  of  Verbs;  being  also  particularly  adapted 
to  the  use  of  Academies  and  Schools. 

BY  WILLIAM  GRIMSHAW,  ESQ. 

The  public  are  again  indebted  to  the  talents  of  Mr.  Grimshaw,  for  the  very 
useful  books  which  he  has  called  "  The  Ladies'  and  Gentleman's  Lexicons." — 
The  peculiarity  and  advantages  of  these  works  may  be  collected  from  the  fol 
lowing  portion  of  the  preface  : — 

"They  differ  from  all  preceding  works  of  the  kind  in  this,  that  they  exhibit  the  plurals 
of  all  nouns  which  are  not  formed  by  the  mere  addition  of  the  letter  s,  and  also  the  par 
ticiples  of  every  verb  now  generally  used,  and  unless  accompanied  by  a  particular  cau 
tion.  No  word  has  been  admitted  which  is  not  now  of  polite  or  popular  use;  and  no  word 
has  been  excluded  which  is  required  either  in  epistolary  composition  or  conversation." 

In  giving  the  above  extracts  we  take  occasion  to  say,  that  teachers  will  find  the  "  La 
dies'  and  Gentleman's  Lexicons"  works  admirably  adapted  to  take  the  place,  with 
advantage  to  their  pupils,  of  the  different  works  recently  put  into  their  hands  under  the 
name  of  Expositors,  &c. 

fUT^  The  above  work  has  been  introduced  as  a  Class-book  into  many  of  our  acade 
mies  and  schools,  with  great  approbation. 


GRIMSHAW'S  POPULAR  HISTORIES. 

For  Schools  and  Family  Libraries, 
SRIMSHAW'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

RECENTLY  BROUGHT  UP  BY  THE  AUTHOR  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 

Also,  Questions  adapted  to  the  above  History  ;  and  a  Key,  adapted  to 
the  Questions,  for  the  use  of  Teachers  and  Families. 


HISTORY  OF  ElVGLAIVD. 

RECENTLY  BROUGHT  UP  BY  THE  AUTHOR  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 

Also,  Questions  adapted  to  the  above  History;  and  a  Key,  adapted  to 
the  Questions,  for  the  use  of  Teachers  and  Families. 


Grimshaw's  Improved  Edition  of 
GOLDSMITH'S  HISTORY  OF  GREECE, 

With  a  Vocabulary  of  the  Proper  Names  contained  in  the  Work,  and  the  Proso- 
dial  Accents,  in  conformity  with  the  Pronunciation  of  Lempriere.  Also, 
Questions  adapted  to  the  above  History  ;  and  a  Key,  adapted  to  the  Questions, 
for  the  use  of  Teachers  and  Families. 

Grimshaw's  Improved  Edition  of 
GOLDSMITH'S  HISTORY  OF  ROME. 

REVISED  AND  CORRECTED ; 

And  a  Vocabulary  of  Proper  Names  appended,  with  Prosodial  Marks  to  assist  in 
their  Pronunciation.  Also,  Questions  adapted  to  the  above  History ;  and  a 
Key,  adapted  to  the  Questions,  for  the  use  of  Teachers  and  Families. 

GRIMSHAW'S  HISTORY  OF  FRANCE, 

WITH  KEY  AND  QUESTIONS. 
GRIMSHAW'S 

HISTORY  AND  LIFE  OF  NAPOLEON, 

The  editor  of  the  North  American  Review,  speaking  of  these  Histories,  ob 
serves,  that — 

Among  the  Elementary  Books  of  American  History,  we  do  not  remember  to  have  seen 
any  one  more  deserving  approbation  than  Mr.  Grimshaw's  History  of  the  United  States. 
It  is  a  small  volume,  and  a  great  deal  of  matter  is  brought  into  a  narrow  space;  but  the 
author  has  succeeded  so  well  in  the  construction  of  his  periods,  and  the  arrangement  of 
his  materials,  that  perspicuity  is  rarely  sacrificed  to  brevity. 

The  chain  of  narrative  is  skillfully  preserved;  and  the  author's  reflections  are  fre 
quently  such  as  to  make  the  facts  more  impressive,  and  lead  the  youthful  mind  to  observe 
causes  and  consequences  which  might  otherwise  have  been  overlooked.  As  a  school 
book  it  may  justly  be  recommended. 

What  has  been  said  of  this  volume  will  apply  generally  to  his  other  historical  works. 
They  are  each  nearly  of  the  same  size  as  the  one  just  noticed,  and  designed  for  the  same, 
object,  that  is,  the  use  of  classes  in  schools. 

The  History  of  England  is  an  original  composition;  but  the  Grecian  and  Roman  His 
tories  are  Goldsmith's,  improved  by  Gi:mshaw,  in  which  he  has  corrected  the  typogra 
phical  errors  with  which  the  later  editions  of  Goldsmith's  Abridgements  so  much  abound; 
and  removed  any  grossness  in  language,  which,  in  some  few  instances,  render  these 
valuable  compends  less  useful  in  the  schools  to  which  youth  of  both  sexes  resort.  He 
has  also  added  a  Vocabulary  of  Proper  Names,  accentuated,  in  order  to  show  their  right 
pronunciation,  which  is  a  valuable  appendage  to  the  History. 

All  these  books  are  accompanied  with  very  full  and  well-digested  Tables  of  Ques 
tions,  for  the  benefit  of  Pupils,  and  also  with  Keys  to  the  same,  for  the  convenience  of 
Teachers. 


THE    BEAUTIES    OF   HISTORY  5 

OR,  EXAMPLES  OF  THE 

OPPOSITE  EFFECTS  OF  VIRTUE  AND  VICE, 
FOR  THE  USE  OF  FAMILIES. 

1  Vol.  12iuo.,  with  Plates. 

"  After  a  careful  examination  of  this  book,  we  can  conscientiously  recommend 
it  to  parents  and  teachers  as  a  most  meritorious  performance.  There  are  here 
collected,  within  a  narrow  compass,  the  most  striking  examples  of  individual 
virtue  and  vice  which  are  spread  forth  on  the  pages  of  history,  or  are  recorded 
in  personal  biography.  The  noblest  precepts  are  recommended  for  the  guidance 
of  youth  ;  and  in  the  most  impressive  manner  is  he  taught  to  conquer  the  de 
grading  impulses  which  lower  the  standard  ofthe  human  character.  Wehavenot 
lately  met  with  a  volume  which,  in  design  and  execution,  seemed  so  acceptable 
as  this.  The  book,  moreover,  is  handsomely  got  up,  and  illustrated  with  wood 
engravings." 


A  Dictionary  of  Select  and  Popular  Quotations, 

Which  are  in  daily  use,  taken  from  the  French.  Greek,  Spanish  and  Italian  Languages, 
translated  into  English,  with  illustrations,  Historical  and  Idiomatic.    This  little  work 


should  find  its  way  into  every  family  library. 


Conversations  on  Natural  Philosophy; 

In  which  the  Elements  of  that  Science  are  familiarly  explained.  Illustrated|with  plates. 
By  the  author  of  "  Conversations  on  Chemistry,"  &c.  With  considerable  Additions, 
Corrections  and  Improvements  in  the  body  of  the  work,  Appropriate  Questions,  and 
a  Glossary.  By  Dr.  Thomas  P.  Jones,  Professor  of  Mechanics  in  the  Franklin  Insti 
tute  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 


Conversations  on  Chemistry; 

In  which  the  Elements  of  that  Science  are  familiarly  Explained  and  Illustrated  by  Ex 
periments  and  Engravings  on  Wood.  From  the  last  London  Edition.  In  which  all 
the  late  Discoveries  and  Improvements  are  brought  up  to  the  present  time,  by  Dr. 
Thomas  P.  Jones,  Professor  of  Mechanics  in  the  Franklin  Institute  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  &c. 

The  learned  and  distinguished  Professors  Silliman  and  Bigelow,  speaking  of 
these  works,  observe  : — "  They  are  satisfied  that  the  Works  contain  the  funda 
mental  principles,  and  truths  of  the  Sciences,  expressed  in  a  clear,  intelligible, 
and  interesting  manner,  and  that  the  present  editions  are  decidedly  more  valu 
able  than  any  preceding  ones.  The  high  character  of  the  author,  as  a  lecturer 
and  a  man  of  science,  will,  we  doubt  not,  secure  for  these  Works  the  good 
opinion  of  the  public,  and  cause  their  extensive  adoption  among  Seminaries  and 
Students." 

Teachers  in  ordering  would  do  well  to  say  "  Jones''  Improved 
Editions  " 


RUSCHENBERGER'S 
FIRST  BOOKS  OF  NATURAL.  HISTORY. 

FOB  SCHOOLS,  ACADEMIES,  COLLEGES  AND  FAMILIES. 

1.  ELEMENTS  OF  ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY,  for  Beginners, 

45  cuts. 

2.  ELEMENTS  OF  MAMMALOGY,  THE  NATURAL  HISTORY 
OF  QUADRUPED,  for  beginners,  75  cuts. 

3.  ELEMENTS  OF  ORNITHOLOGY,   THE   NATURAL  HISTORY 

OF  BIRDS,  for  beginners,  81  cuts. 

4.  ELEMENTS  OF  HERPETOLOGY,  AND  ICHTHYOLOGY,  THE 

NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  REPTILES  AND  FISHES, 
for  beginners,  66  cuts. 

5.  ELEMENTS  OF  CONCHOLOGY,  THE  NATURAL  HISTORY 

•OF  SHELLS  AND  MOLLUSCA,  for  beginners,  119  cuts. 

6.  ELEMENTS  OF  ENTOMOLOGY,  THE  NATURAL  HISTORY 

OF  INSECTS,  for  beginners,  91  cuts. 

7.  ELEMENTS  OF  BOTANY,  THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 

PLANTS,  for  beginners,  194  cuts. 

8.  ELEMENTS  OF  GEOLOGY,  THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF 
THE  EARTH'S  STRUCTURE,  for  beginners,  with  300  cuts. 

Also  the  whole  Series,  complete,  bound  in  2  Vols  ,  half  Turkey  morocco. 

*#*  The  above  series  is  considered  one  of  the  most  valuable  contributions  to  the  cause 

of  education  which  has  ever  been  published  in  this  country,  and  should  be  found  in  the 

library  of  every  Farmer  and  intelligent  man,  and  particularly  in  all  our  School  Libraries. 


12 

In  addition  to  the  Popular  School  Books  already  named,  our  stock 
comprises  all  the  popular 

SCHOOL  AND  COLLEGE  BOOKS 

OF  THE  DAY. 
SUCH  AS   THE   VARIOUS   EDITIONS    OF 

SPELLING    BOOKS; 

THE  VARIOUS  SERIES  OF  READING-  BOOKS, 

ENGLISH    DICTIONARIES    AND    GRAMMARS, 

THE  WORKS  ON 

ARITHMETIC,  GEOGRAPHY, 

RHETORIC,  ELOCUTION,  LOGIC,  COMPOSITION, 
ALGEBRA,  GEOMETRY,  SURVEYING, 

MENSURATION, 

DRAWING,  BOOK-KEEPING, 
HISTORY,    BIOGRAPHY, 

NATURAL  PHILOSOPHY,  CHEMISTRY,  BOTANY, 
MINERALOGY, 

NATURAL   HISTORY,  PHYSIOLOGY,  ASTRONOMY,  INTELLEC 
TUAL  AND  MORAL  PHILOSOPHY,  POLITICAL  ECONOMY, 

FRENCH    GRAMMARS, 

DICTIONARIES,  READERS,  &£. 

ALL   THE   VARIOUS 

GERMAN,  LATIN,  GREEK,  AND  SPANISH 
SCHOOL  AND  CLASSICAL  BOOKS; 

WITH    A    VERY    EXTENSIVE    ASSORTMENT    OF    ALL    THE 
STANDARD  WORKS  OF  THE  DAY, 

IN   EVERY   DEPARTMENT   OF 

LITERATURE,  SCIENCE,  AND  ART. 
LIPPINCOTT,   GRAMBO    &   CO., 

SUCCESSORS   TO 

GRIGG,    ELLIOT    &   CO., 

NO.  14  NORTH  FOURTH  STREET, 
PHILADELPHIA. 


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